Hallowed
by Thessian Shadow
Summary: Harry never realized the truth in Dumbledore's statement. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." He assumed that he had been alone, and that he must continue on that way, but what if he had been wrong? A look at book 7 with a few subtle changes. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Revelation

**Hallowed**  
 _Chapter One: Revelation_

 **A/N:** This story has been a work in progress for a while. It was written due to inspiration from a few of Refreshingly Original's stories on this site. It is completed and I will be uploading chapters every few days so as not to overwhelm with a lot of reading. :) Cheers!

 **Summary:** Book 7: Harry wasn't as alone as he appeared to be. Throughout his life, someone has been watching, and they still are. This simple action will change events as he moves forward.

* * *

Rushing air, darkened skies, and the blaring sound of a flying motorbike had filled his dreams. Flashes of light and screams of horror blinded his senses as well; bodies falling from brooms and thestrals alike before he himself took the plunge on the motorbike. The roar of Rubeus Hagrid as Sirius Black's bike fell through the clouds was undiscernible. The young man that he was on the verge of becoming was forgotten as he felt like a scared kid. He could hear Hagrid's desperate cries that he was coming to get him, but it didn't matter. As the bike descended quicker than it should have, the sidecar he had been cramped in slammed into the earth; waking the one who had experienced it a few short days ago.

* * *

Harry Potter sat bolt upright as he saw the fleeting moments of their narrow escape from Privet Drive. Recounting the events of the evening, he considered himself lucky that most had survived. There had been only one casualty, and that had been Alastor Moody; betrayed by Mundungus Fletcher, the ex-auror had crashed his broom, and no one had heard from him. The others had managed to get to their destinations before taking portkeys back to the Burrow. George had a large slash in his ear but Mrs. Weasley had managed to keep it mostly whole. Even Harry's flight with Hagrid had gone well enough; true, they had crashed, but he had managed to ask Moody to shrink the trunk, broom, and Hedwig's cage before leaving. This had happened with all of the "Potters" that were in the air that night.

As Harry thought of the snowy owl, Harry felt Hedwig land on his leg with a soft hoot; her amber eyes resting on him filled with concern. Harry reached out a hand and gently stroked the owl. He could hear voices from the floors below as he did so; clearly, the burrow was alive with pre-wedding preparations again. Since everything had been sorted with Harry's arrival, Molly, Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley had been in the process of straightening up for Bill and Fleur's wedding that would take place in a day. Spotting his glasses on the side table, Harry pulled them on and addressed his owl.

"Glad we both made it out of that, Hedwig." The owl simply hooted and blinked. Harry could easily tell that she was grateful as well, though. "I don't think I could stand losing anyone else right now, especially you." He only paused to take a slow drink of water before continuing. "Been through a lot, haven't we?" At that point however, Harry heard the door to the room he and Ron were sharing burst open. Hermione entered with a genuine smile. Harry only had time to say good morning. "Morning, Hermione-"

"Happy birthday, Harry!" She handed him a well-wrapped present and went to Ron's bed. "Ms. Weasley will be up in a few minutes, I think." Hermione reached over and shook the sleeping teen's shoulder before straightening up. "Wake up, Ronald."

"Oy!" Sitting up, Ron looked around bewildered before spotting Hermione and Harry. "What time is it?"

"Nearly seven." Harry, who had already unwrapped Hermione's present grinned at her. "Thanks, Hermione."

"You know the others have presents for you downstairs, mate." Ron, having realized what day it was, had swung his legs over the side of his bed and gotten up. "Got mine down there too."

"I… I'm seventeen!" The realization hit him and Harry drew his wand; summoning a package of owl treats from his trunk, he tapped the seal and they opened. He withdrew one of the mouse-shaped treats and held it out for Hedwig to nibble on. She gave him a contented look and went on nipping at it until it was gone. "This is brilliant! Finally don't have the trace on me anymore."

"Innit?" Ron grinned as he threw on his jeans and a maroon shirt before preparing to head downstairs. "Come on, Harry. Let's beat Mum to the punch this morning and get down there before she comes up here."

"Sure." Harry, who had already started changing clothes, pulled on his jeans and a faded navy tee shirt before lacing up his trainers. After standing and stretching, he joined Ron at the door with Hermione right behind him. They trooped down the stairs and were careful not to wake Bill or Ginny as they passed their rooms. As it turned out, Ginny needn't have been considered because she was already downstairs working on sorting out breakfast plates.

"Morning, you." She said this cheerfully as Harry emerged from the stairs after Ron. "Happy seventeenth!" Though they had broken up at the end of last year, or had seemed to, Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek and nearly caused Ron to send a piece of bacon he had nicked to go flying out of his mouth. Harry wasn't too surprised by it. He wrapped an arm around her in a gentle hug of appreciation.

"Thanks, Ginny." Beaming, Harry moved through the kitchen and saw Ron's parents and siblings waiting for him in the sitting room. They all chorused "Happy Birthday" in a very cheerful way, and he prepared to spend the morning with the Weasley family.

Indeed he did spend the morning and early afternoon with them. Receiving different parcels from the Weasleys and the newly arrived Delacours, Harry marveled at the watch and chain that Molly Weasley had passed on to him. It had belonged to Fabian, her brother who had died during the first war with Voldemort. He had received an assortment of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes from Fred and George, a book on dating from Ron, and a new sneakoscope from Hermione. Hagrid, who arrived later, presented him a small pouch that was meant to be worn around the neck. Its confines were impervious to anyone but the owner. Even Remus and Tonks had come for dinner.

Unfortunately, the sudden arrival of Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, made the latter two leave quickly. He had been there to speak with Harry, Ron, and Hermione about the contents of Albus Dumbledore's will. The deceased headmaster had left Ron the deluminator, Hermione the Tales of Beadle the Bard, and Harry the first golden snitch he had caught in his first quidditch match. Scrimgeour had questioned all of these items; he had even gone so far as to watch as Harry took the snitch with his bare hand. Clearly he had hoped that it would reveal its secrets, but it didn't. There was one more matter, however. Dumbledore had left Harry two other items in the will. One was a large crystal phial full of a pearly white substance. At first, he thought it might have been one of Dumbledore's memories that he had forgotten to show him, but Harry changed his mind when he saw it was more of a liquid and wasn't actively swirling around. Scrimgeour announced with a bit of annoyance that it was a bottle of phoenix tears. He handed Harry a small scroll that had apparently accompanied the bottle. In Dumbledore's narrow handwriting was a small message: "Use them well. You will know when the time is right." The last thing Dumbledore had left him was a bit more controversial; the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

After a clear disagreement with the minister in regard to the sword, its purpose, and its ownership, Harry and Scrimgeour had stood nose to nose; their wands against each other. Only when they had been seen by Arthur and Molly Weasley did the minister regain his composure and control. He strode out of the room and made for the gate that led to the point where he could disapparate. When he had, Harry and the others rejoined the festivities in the back yard of the Burrow. He spent the evening of his birthday eating the delicious cake that Molly had made and speaking with friends and members of the Weasley family, who he had come to call his own.

The next morning dawned early and bright with the hope of a beautiful wedding. Harry, rising with Ron at Hermione's insistence, got up and dressed after having a spot of breakfast in the kitchen with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Once he had finished the rest of the pre-wedding setup that wasn't going to be done by the others, he changed into a set of deep emerald green dress robes. It didn't come as a shock that he would have to be in a disguise at the actual wedding, though; Molly, Arthur, and he had discussed this the night before. He was to have to down a flask of polyjuice potion and assume the identity of a red-headed young man from the nearby village of Ottery St. Catchpole and pass himself off as one of the many Weasley cousins. Before he did this however, Order members began to arrive for the wedding. Remus, Tonks, Hagrid, and even Percy Weasley. He didn't speak much at all to his mother or father, but he did manage to talk to Bill and Fleur. The one that shocked Harry most was the sudden appearance of his head of house. He had just managed to come back from seating Hagrid when he spotted her talking to Molly.

Minerva McGonagall stood in her typical sweeping emerald robes and square spectacles. Her pointed witch's hat was missing on this warm summer's day, and Harry could see that her hair, normally a glinting black, was now flecked with more silvery grey. Even with her tall and alert posture, he noted that she looked rather exhausted. Still, the manner in which she spoke was rather, dare he think it, cheerful. It was fortunate that he was looking in that direction, because Mr. Weasley motioned for him to come closer; when he did, Harry was passed a flask full of what looked to be maroon potion. Entering the kitchen, he stood near the table and downed it in one go. Thankfully, he was the only one in there at the moment, but he didn't notice the eyes on him as he gritted his teeth.

The potion, as he remembered, tasted like a thick mud as it went down. Its coarse texture didn't help, but he had stomached it before. Harry remembered getting a few of Gregory Goyle's short hairs to try and trick Malfoy into telling him and Ron who the heir of Slytherin was. He did note that this boy's potion didn't taste any better than Goyle's had. Harry could feel his insides writhe like a great snake as the potion did its task, but that wasn't the only sensation. Blood like boiling water, heat was pouring through him, and as he looked down, he could see his skin literally bubbling as it took the shape of the other boy's. He felt ill as the potion continued to change him; his head felt light, eyes were watering, and he found himself gripping the edge of the table; the skin on his knuckles turning white. Only when his insides stopped moving and his skin seemed to smooth out did he notice a cool and solid hand on his shoulder. Harry took a moment to close his eyes and lower his head before turning to see who that hand belonged to. When he finally did, he was looking into the knowing green eyes of his former teacher.

"Not an easy thing to undergo is it, Potter?"

"No." Blinking for a moment, Harry realized that he didn't need glasses anymore. As he took them off, he felt the tightness in his arms where the boy he was impersonating seemed to be a bit thicker than he was. Frowning slightly at it, he stowed the glasses in a thin case before putting them into his pocket. "How did you know?"

"I watched." The slight beginnings of a smile played at the corners of the normally stern professor's lips, and Harry couldn't help but mirror it. It had to be a sight; watching him change from his usual thin frame to another boy over a minute or two. Eyes searching the room, he noticed that there was no mirrored surface to examine his reflection.

"How do I look?" He posed this question without even thinking, and had to grin at McGonagall's response.

"Like a Weasley." This time, she did smile in earnest, and Harry caught himself thinking it wouldn't be bad to see that more often. He didn't have long to think on why that had come to mind before she spoke again. "I will suggest however…" She withdrew her wand and flicked it casually at Harry's dress robes. "Ah, good." At his questioning look, she elaborated. "I believe you lost an inch or so in height but gained it in width." And with that, Harry noted that his arms were nowhere near as tight as they had been. He could move them easily as he did when he had his own height/weight proportions.

"Thank you, Professor. How long will it last?"

"While it did not look as if it were hanging off of you like elephant skin, it did look a bit odd." That comment got Harry's attention. It seemed oddly specific that she mentioned robes hanging off him like elephant skins. He had, in fact, said this to his aunt Petunia about some grey clothes he was supposed to wear to Stonewall High. That had been after Dudley had paraded around in his new Smeltings uniform. McGonagall seemed to notice Harry's sudden recognition of the phrase, because she made a simple comment to follow it. "I see you remember that as well as I, Potter. I will just say this: Arabella Figg was not the only one watching while you dealt with your relatives. As for how long it will last, long enough to fool anyone here."

"I knew it." He didn't linger on how long it would last, seeing as there was a more pressing matter. Finding a kettle of tea still sitting around, Harry poured a cup to chase the polyjuice potion before continuing. "You were sitting there in your animagus form at the start of class once in third year. I kept thinking I'd seen that cat somewhere…"

"Easy enough to keep an eye on you when Arabella had enough of them to make my presence convincing enough."

"Did Dumbledore send you?" It was a matter of genuine interest. Albus Dumbledore had kept watch on Harry by means of Arabella Figg, a squib that posed as an "ordinary" neighbor. He had even had Mundungus Fletcher to remain close during the summer between Harry's fourth and fifth year. It would have been logical to have a more reliable source of surveillance there.

"Actually, no." Noting that people were starting to really crowd in for the wedding, Harry and his professor headed out toward the mass of golden chairs. Finding a pair beside Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, they sat down. The three were engaged in a conversation with Hagrid about new baby unicorns that had been born in the forest over the summer and hardly noticed. "He objected."

"Didn't stop you." Harry said lightly. "I remember seeing that same tabby off and on during the year; mostly the summer. Now it makes sense. I thought I was going mad; thinking this cat was just watching me."

"I had my reasons for being there. Albus knew it and eventually respected them."

"I can't say how hopeful I was to see a silver tabby on the fence outside." It was easy admitting this because it was a simple truth. "Made the day go by easier; made Uncle Vernon angry at something else for a change." Hearing Mrs. Weasley and Arthur approaching from the back, Harry posed one question. "I don't quite understand though; why were you there if the threat had passed?"

"Unlike most, I never believed it had." McGonagall raised a hand and moved a stray grey hair back so that it comingled with the rest near her typical bun before continuing. "I never trusted your aunt or uncle. I watched them for an entire day before Hagrid brought you there under Albus' orders. I expressed my concerns when they arrived."

"And he still left me there?"

"The truth of the matter was that the wards that were put into place when Lily gave her life to spare you were better protection than anyone else could have offered." Professor McGonagall admitted with a definite hint of resignation. "Had there been any other way…"

"What would you have done?" She gave Harry a meaningful look as he posed this question, and he understood. Harry didn't have time to even think on a comment however; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had come down the isle and were almost immediately followed by Fleur and Monsieur Delacour. Bill and Charlie were standing in their positions already; Ginny and Gabrielle were as well. When the bride and her father reached the others, the short wizard that had been present and spoken at Dumbledore's funeral made a quick speech. He then asked the important question: if William Arthur Weasley would take Fleur Isabelle to be his wife. When Bill said "I do" and Fleur did the same when asked, the two were pronounced bonded for life. They then shared a kiss and were greeted by a healthy round of applause.

Row by row, people went to congratulate the newlyweds. Molly, Ginny, Hermione, Madam Delacour, and several others were in varying amounts of tears during the affair, and Harry was pleased to get to Bill and Fleur quickly. He congratulated them and moved on to find a table somewhere away from the crowd. A little ways off, he could see Xenophilius Lovegood in his canary yellow robes. He eyed the symbol around the man's neck with slight curiosity. It looked to be a triangle encasing a circle with a bar through it. He had never seen that symbol before. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had spotted it.

"You find this strange as well?" A heavily accented voice spoke somewhere to Harry's right, and as he turned, he saw an unmistakeable man sitting beside him. Viktor Krum was there in deep crimson and gold robes. He looked a bit older than Harry last remembered, but his expression seemed to have softened slightly.

"I've never seen it before… Then again, Luna's father is a little off, from what I understand." Harry said this casually while Viktor frowned at the old man.

"I know who you are, Harry Potter." This was shocking, but Harry understood when Krum explained; Hermione had told him just who Harry was. "That mark is terrible."

"What does it mean?" Harry lowered his voice as he asked, seeing as Viktor had done it.

"It is Grindelwald's mark." Frowning deeper as Xenophilius looked their way, Viktor went on. "I saw it carved into a wall at Durmstrang while I was there."

"Grindelwald, the dark wizard Dumbledore defeated during the Great War?"

"The same."

"Harry," Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had moved to join the two at their table, and Harry could tell Ron was not pleased to see the Bulgarian quidditch player. "I see Viktor found you."

"Yeah." When they did sit down, Harry caught them up on what Viktor was saying. "He says that symbol Luna's dad is wearing belonged to Gellert Grindelwald."

"Why would Xenophilius be wearin' that?" Ron raised his eyebrows as both Krum ad Harry shrugged. The former offered a guess, however.

"Those who supported him wore his mark."

"Luna's dad is barmy, but I don't think he'd support the dark arts. He was on our side, telling everyone that would listen that You Know Who was back." Ron's denial of Viktor's statement was quick but sound. Harry had to agree that it was very unlikely that Lovegood would support such a man.

While that was on his mind, Harry thought of his discussion with his head of house. The discussion about her presence during his childhood came back up as he saw her talking to Elphias Doge in a low voice a few tables away. He had to admit that it was hard to think of her being thee many times during hot summer days or snowy winter ones. In fact, she had, and he wasn't about to discuss it with Ron or Hermione; at least not yet. Harry saw, to his displeasure, "Auntie Muriel" going to join Doge's table, and he could easily eavesdrop on their conversation from there.

She was saying how Doge's write up in the Daily Prophet had been a white-washed and glorified lie about Dumbledore; how he and his brother had at least one row that broke Albus' nose. There was also talk about Kendra Dumbledore, Albus' mother, who had "locked" her daughter away for being a squib. Then there was Percival; her husband, who had been locked away in Azkaban for killing at least three muggles. While Elphias didn't contest the part about Percival, he did argue about Kendra, Ariana, Albus, and Aberforth.

"Oh honestly Muriel, do you really believe anything Rita Skeeter puts out?" McGonagall had a look of revulsion as she questioned the older woman. "Most if not all that she has written, aside from Potter's interview with the Quibbler two years ago, has been nothing but hogwash."

"So you believe the silky sweet bile that Elphias has said?" Muriel, who could have probably done with an ear trumpet, half shouted back. "It's as if the whole world's gone deaf and blind to now much he's covered up over the years."

"Even if he did keep his family history to himself, that doesn't mean what Rita Skeeter wrote is the truth."

"Well, you know who her source was, I suspect." Muriel went on. "Had to be Bathilda Bagshot, didn't it?" The way she voiced this, it didn't sound like a question; more like a sarcastic remark. "Went to Godric's Hollow, she did and got the information from a reliable source close to the Dumbledores."

"Oh please." McGonagall waved her hand in a dismissive fashion as she took a sip of firewhiskey. "Bathilda Bagshot is how old now? I daresay she wouldn't have all of her wits about her."

"Bathilda Bagshot?" Harry heard this voice closer to him now. It was Hermione. "She was the author of "A History of Magic", Harry."

"I knew her name sounded familiar." Harry said this while still listening, which wasn't hard to do given the volume of the conversation. "Wonder what your aunt's on about, Ron."

"Don't mind her, Harry." Ron, who had been listening as well, took a bite of a half sandwich as he spoke again. "You heard her goin' on earlier."

"I know…" Harry remembered her going on about the tiara and how it improved Fleur's beauty when in reality, Fleur didn't need a goblin-made tiara to make her anymore beautiful. Being part Veela, she had the crowd with or without it. There were other pieces of conversation Harry had overheard with Muriel that made him rather dislike the woman. As he continued to listen, he saw Elphias Doge make side glances toward him. "Reckon he knows who I am?"

"Dunno." Ron, having finished the sandwich, looked over to the man as well. "Noticed McGonagall did."

"She saw me drink the polyjuice earlier. That's how she knows."

"Obvious, isn't it?" Hermione cut in quietly. "Harry, you are hardly ever seen without us or Ginny. My guess is that he saw us and assumed."

"Good guess." Ron said as he fiddled with something in the pocket of his dress robes. Harry was almost certain it was Dumbledore's deluminator.

"I'll see if he knows." Harry got up from his seat and nodded to Krum as he left. When he approached Doge's table, the man's eyes widened in welcome surprise.

"Ah, I know you well-" Shaking Harry's hand, Elphias was cut off by Muriel again.

"How could you? That's Barry… One of my lot." At this, Harry couldn't help but share a knowing look with Professor McGonagall, who actually had to work to suppress a half smile.

"Er… Hello again, Auntie Muriel." Harry played along and gave Elphias a secretive look that clearly said "I have to act like I'm related to her" and the elder wizard nodded.

"Know that one do you, Minerva?" Muriel took a long sip of wine, which was more than she needed; having drank a few goblets by now. "Not gotten into trouble like those twins over there has he?"

"No trouble out of this one."

"Sorry, are you Elphias Doge?" Harry had to ask before Muriel went off on a tangent again. "You're the one who wrote that column about Professor Dumbledore in the Prophet, right?"

"I am." Doge smiled, having noticed how easy it had been to eavesdrop on the conversation they had been having. "I should hope you don't believe all that you hear from that reporter, Rita Skeeter."

"I didn't know he had a brother or sister, Sir."

"Oh yes." Doge carried on with what he knew while Muriel scoffed. "His brother Aberforth and sister Ariana meant the world to him. It nearly killed him when she died-"

"You mean Aberforth nearly killed him." Corrected Muriel with a slight hiccup. "Ready to fly off the handle he was."

"Merlin…" Harry could just hear McGonagall mutter that under her breath in a bit of exasperation and had to suppress a snort.

"You wouldn't know he had other family, would you Barry?"

"Barney-" Harry corrected her, but he was cut off.

"Don't think I know my own kin's name? 'Course I know, Barry. Anyway…" Muriel straightened up a bit and looked Harry over with bleary eyes. "Wouldn't know anything about the man. They all died off before you were even a thought between your parents, didn't they?" Again, there was that sarcasm in place of a question. Harry suppressed the urge to frown at the woman. There was a retort on the end of his tongue that was about to be released when Elphias excused himself to speak with another warlock that had sat at a table nearby. This left Muriel to mutter something about her tiara and more wine. She then proceeded to totter off somewhere. Harry let out a sigh of relief at her sudden departure.

"I can see why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley only put up with her when they need to…"

"In some cases, there are the old and the wise combined." Looking after Muriel as she went to talk to Molly and Arthur, McGonagall shook her head. "In her case, I believe the former is all that applies." Turning back to Harry, she posed a question. 'Learned a bit, did you?"

"Wasn't exactly intending to eavesdrop." Harry admitted with a sheepish grin. "With her talking, it is a little hard not to, but I did hear a good bit of it."

I cannot say that what Elphias wrote is true, but you know Rita Skeeter's version of the truth is-"

"Far from it, yeah." Harry remembered the articles the woman had done on him, Hermione, and Viktor Krum during the Tri-Wizard tournament during his fourth year. "Honestly, the only reason she did that one article for the Quibbler was because Hermione blackmailed her."

"What?" Professor McGonagall assumed her usual teacher's speech pattern when continuing. "And how did she manage that?"

"We all started wondering where she was getting her information." Harry began to explain with his voice low in case of any passersby. "She either had sources or was interviewing the wrong people during the tournament. Both were plausible, but then she had information on Krum and Hermione and on when I collapsed during Divination. That was after she had been banned from the grounds. Turns out, after a bit of searching, Hermione found Rita and caught her. She's an unregistered animagus; a beetle. She's got markings around her antennae that match her glasses."

"And I assume Miss Granger threatened to expose her if she didn't go through with the article."

"Exactly."

There was a commotion around them, and both former teacher and student looked up sharply. It was all for naught however, because people were getting up to join Bill and Fleur on the dance floor. For a moment after, there was silence between the two; only interrupted by occasional head turns at loud conversations from tables nearby. Harry didn't know what to say. He was sitting here with someone he wouldn't see as a teacher anymore; he, Ron, and Hermione had already decided that they were going to look for the horcruxes that remained at the end of last term. It was only now that he sat here did he realize just how far she had gone for him.

He had just found out she had been there covertly throughout his childhood. When he had been out weeding the garden or trimming the hedge, he had that silver tabby to talk to. She'd even been there during the colder winters; watching a young boy shoveling off piles of snow that would eventually get taller than he was. When he had gone to Hogwarts, she had seen his flying talent and made sure he had an excellent broom when she got him on the quidditch team. During fourth year, she had actually fought against his remaining in the tournament with his safety in mind. He had only found this out by accident from one of the portraits in Dumbledore's office talking about it at the end of the year. Fifth year, she had warned him clearly about Dolores Umbridge and had stood up to her when it came to his career advisement. She had been there when he had seen Arthur Weasley attacked in the ministry. Even last year, McGonagall had kept a close eye on him. Now, he didn't want to admit that he wasn't coming back for this term. Harry knew however, that he had to do it. He, Ron, and Hermione had thought of sending owls as they left the school earlier on in the summer, but they hadn't; none could really think on what to say.

"Professor," Harry began. His words were slow to form in his mind, but he knew he had to speak them. "I thought you ought to know…."

"You will not be returning for the fall term." There was a note of resigned sadness in her tone now. Harry had seen this coming, but he still couldn't prepare fully for it. "I assumed as much; given the circumstances last year."

"How much do you know?" Harry had fully intended not to tell anyone about Dumbledore's plans to destroy the horcruxes for good reason. He knew that the more people who knew the truth, the more likely Voldemort would find out what they were up to. It was best to keep him in the dark until all of them were destroyed.

"Amazing those portraits in the headmaster's study…" McGonagall began lightly. "I would not trust them with the most insignificant secret. I overheard one talking about the night you and Albus left. They did not say where, however. I assumed you would not return due to our conversation in that office before the end of term."

"I can only say that there is something I need to find that will help me stop him." Not stopping there, Harry wondered aloud: "Did Professor Dumbledore mention anything about what he was guarding in the department of Mysteries?" Receiving a curt nod in return, he finished with a cryptic answer. "Voldemort thinks he is immortal; what I'm looking for will hopefully prove him wrong."

The slight confusion in Professor McGonagall's face turned into alarm as she spotted a silvery patronus in the form of a lynx streak around and perch itself on a table nearby. In a clear voice that belonged to Kingsley Shacklebolt it spoke:

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Everything was rushing around them: people were shocked and screaming, some were moving to the apparition point and vanishing, and others were staring around in confusion. Harry simply looked at the patronus as it faded away, but he was shaken from his thoughts by Professor McGonagall, who had stood quickly.

"The potion is wearing off." Plunging her hand into a pocket in her robes, Harry expected her to withdraw her wand. When she removed it, he saw a moderate length of parchment rolled up and sealed. When she held it out to him, he took it with a confused look. "You will remember the diary you destroyed five years ago?" At his nod, she spoke quickly. "This scroll of parchment works along those lines." She retrieved another from that same pocket and went on. "This is a means of communication between yourself and the Order. You hold that scroll and I its twin. Anything written on that scroll will appear here." She motioned to the one she held. "Likewise, anything written here will appear there." She indicated his. "Only those who are intended to see it will be able to read it."

"How…"

"No time." McGonagall spoke more quietly now as people rushed past them. "They will know you're here soon enough. Get somewhere safe."

"What about the others?" He saw Ron and Hermione moving through the crowd to find him. "The Weasleys-"

"They'll manage. Go, now." Her dark green eyes were scanning the crowd as she spoke; looking for the first sign of unwanted company. "And Potter?"

"Yes?" The use of his surname didn't matter much to him anymore. He was used to it by now. He did notice something different in the way she said it, however.

"Keep yourself hidden. Do not let them find you. The world you know is changing, and they will stop at nothing to keep you from your goal."

"I will." Looking to catch Hermione as she moved past, Harry turned back quickly. "Professor, thank you." When McGonagall raised a questioning eyebrow, Harry clarified. "For everything." In response, she placed a hand on his shoulder briefly before turning to leave. In that instant, he felt a warmth like he had never experienced pass through him. Harry turned and caught Hermione as she and Ron were moving behind him, but when he looked back McGonagall was gone; all he saw was a silver tabby streak through the crowd.

* * *

 **A/N 2:** Well, there's the first chapter. Let me know what you think (Writing style, characters, etc) It's been a while since I've written any HP stuff, so I think I might be a bit rusty at it :)

Cheers!


	2. A Reluctant Kreacher

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Two: A Reluctant Kreacher_

* * *

Managing to place the parchment in the mokeskin pouch Hagrid had given him, Harry stared around for a few seconds but felt Hermione shake him gently. He went with her while still casting an eye around the crowd. The tabby or ny traces of her were gone when they reached the apparition point, however. Feeling Hermione's hand grip his arm, Harry felt a sudden sensation of being condensed and forced through a narrow tube. Darkness followed this, and when he felt he could breathe again, he opened his eyes to see a narrow street and several shops.

"Where are we and what do we do now?" Ron's first question was met with Hermione's quick answer.

"Tottenham Court Road in muggle London." She was already looking over the shops and settled on a café in the corner. As for Ron's second question, she hurried along the street and darted into an alleyway. "Come on. We'll need to change out of these robes." Hermione motioned to the entrance to a public toilet, and Ron frowned. "Oh go on! We have to blend in or anyone who may have followed us will be able to-"

"Okay, I'm going." Harry had to suppress a snort at Ron's exasperation. Sure, it wasn't the best place to change, but it was better than stripping down in some alleyway behind rubbish bins and hoping no one saw them. Following Ron down into the underground toilets, he heard Ron speak again. "Erm Hermione, what exactly are we changing into? I think we left everything at the Burrow."

"Don't be silly." Stopping just outside the men's door, she flicked her wand and muttered "Scourgify!" at a spot on the floor which cleaned itself immediately. Dropping her handbag down with a loud thump, she opened it and rummaged around; eventually retrieving jeans, socks, and trainers for Harry, Ron, and herself. Closing the bag again, she handed the boys their clothing and picked up her bag again. "I've had the essentials packed for days now. That's why I was sorting out the books and everything. Harry, your rucksack is in here as well. Just bring your dress robes back out when you're done changing."

"Blimey." Ron said in admiration as they entered the men's toilet. "You'd think she had this planned all summer."

"Knowing Hermione, I'd say she has." Both Harry and Ron chose separate stalls and entered. They were appalled by the shape the stalls were in, and both could be heard saying "Scourgify" to clear up the unkempt toilets. Harry, whose robes had returned to their usual length and width with the wearing off of the polyjuice potion, began removing them and managed to have them folded well and floating in the air beside him as he pulled on the clothes Hermione had packed for him. Once dressed, Harry put his glasses on again and exited the stall to find Ron lacing up his trainers near the sink.

"Honestly, she's like my mum…" Looking from Ron to himself, Harry didn't quite know what Ron meant. Thankfully, he clarified. "She packs maroon…"

"Well, I s'pose it goes better with your hair." Harry lied. He had no idea why Hermione had packed the maroon shirt and socks, but he did know it looked better than the scarlet Ron had been wearing the day before.

"Good to know, but since when have you paid attention to that?"

"Well, I was just trying to figure out why your mum likes to use that color for all of your stuff. I assume because any brighter would clash with your hair..." At Ron's incredulous look, Harry explained. "It's what I get for living with my aunt, Petunia. She's all into things like that." Straightening his shirt, Harry made sure the mokeskin pouch was secure around his neck and headed for the door with his robes under his arm. "She'll probably be waiting on us now."

"Yeah." Ron followed back out into the corridor and sure enough, Hermione was there. She had just come out, apparently, and was putting her dress into the handbag. "Oy, how are you fitting all that in there?"

"A lot of charm casting." Hermione had finally looked up again. "I spent some of the holidays looking up how to expand an object without making it look so outwardly. Harry, I did the same with your rucksack before we left. Shouldn't have a problem storing things in it now."

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry handed her his dress robes, which she placed into the bag along with Ron's. "Now, we need to think on a place to go for the moment."

"Right." Hermione closed the bag again and headed for the street above again; talking as she went. "We can head into that café around the corner for the moment. Remember, we have to look natural. Stopping in the street and discussing this so that anyone could hear would be senseless. Oh Harry," Hermione opened her bag and pulled out something before moving on. "Put this on. There's no way to know who's out there." She handed him the invisibility cloak. Harry didn't bother questioning it; he threw the cloak over himself and began to walk behind them.

"Good thing no one saw us appear in dress robes…" Ron exited the stairs and looked around the corner to see if the café was still open. At Hermione's insistence, he moved forward onto the sidewalk. "Been here before have you, Hermione?"

"Several times." Spotting a group of men talking nearby, Hermione kept her head pointed ahead and toward the café. "Not the greatest part of town at night, but it will do for now." It didn't take long for the other two to see what she meant. As they emerged in front of the café, they fell under a street lamp. This left them in clear view of the men nearby.

"Hey, Beau'iful." One man, holding a long necked bottle of wine had turned to face the three as they passed. He spoke with half slurred words. "Ditch Ginger there and come wif us."

"See what I mean?" Hermione ignored them and pushed open the café's door. Inside, they saw one waitress clearing off a table. Choosing one with a clear view of the door, Hermione and Ron took seats adjacent while Harry sat with his back facing the wall to have a clear view as well. When the waitress walked toward them, Hermione ordered two coffees just to pass the time and avoid suspicion. The girl went to retrieve them, and two men entered in what looked to be muggle utility uniforms. They took a table nearby but didn't order anything when the waitress questioned them. Instead, they muttered amongst themselves. Harry however, didn't like how they looked. He withdrew his wand and thought hard. Flicking his wand, he cast a successful "Muffliato" charm without speaking. Ron and Hermione seemed to notice this because they looked at the exact place where Harry was sitting before averting their eyes to the waitress who was returning with their drinks.

"So, where to now?" Knowing that it was safe to talk for the moment, Ron voiced the question that Harry was thinking. "Leaky Cauldron?"

"Can't exactly just walk in there, can we?" Hermione stirred her coffee carefully so as to look as if she was interested in it. "They'll look there first because it is obvious…"

"Grimmauld Place then?"

"I don't know…" Frustrated, Hermione took a sip of her coffee after adding cream and sugar. "Is it safe? I mean, Snape knows about it-"

"Remember what they said?" Ron took a sip of his as well, but from his expression, he realized he should have added something to it. "Mad Eye said he had charms in place to make sure no one got in that shouldn't. He would have fixed it so that Snape couldn't just walk in and use the place, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose…" Hermione and Ron were too busy with their coffee and conversation to see the two men reaching down to their belts. Harry however, pulled his wand and flicked it quickly, blowing their table back and causing the men to snarl in response. The other two realized what was going on and pulled theirs out as well. Sending stunners across the room, Ron managed to hit the waitress, who was running for cover and screaming. Hermione hit one of the now identifiable death eaters and Harry hit the other one; he recognized him as Dolohov.

"We've got to move, Hermione. They were right behind us." Harry looked around the room and saw her nod. "We need to modify their memories though."

"Right. Ron, get the lights." Hermione drew the blinds and flipped the sign in the window to "Closed" before Ron had used the deluminator to darken the café. When that was done, the three replaced the tables and chairs; Harry casting a quick spell to vanish the broken china and spilled tea.

"Evanesco."

"Good." Hermione said as she looked over the others. Both death eaters were going to wake within minutes. "Harry, can you get the waitress, and Ron, Dolohov? I'll get this one." She indicated the unknown death eater.

"Right." Ron stood over Dolohov and pointed his wand at the man's forehead. Harry did the same with the waitress, and Hermione the other death eater; Harry recognized him as Raul, who had gotten into Hogwarts when Draco let Bellatrix and the others in. At nearly the same time, three voices spoke the same word.

"Obliviate!"

"Good. Let's go." Harry had straightened up and retrieved the cloak from the now invisible back of his chair. Handing it to Hermione, he pocketed his wand and stood between them. He saw the look she gave him. "I can't very well apparate with the cloak yet. We don't need to lose it. We can practice in Grimmauld Place when we get there." She finally agreed and placed it in her bag and joined him in the center of the café. "Focus on the front door of Grimmauld Place. We can't afford to wait around in the square."

"Hold on." Hermione leaned over the waitress and pointed her wand at the woman's chest. "We can't just leave her here for them to wake up and find." Turning back, she spoke clearly. "Ennervate." The waitress came 'round slowly, but when she sat up, she saw the three teens and the two unconscious men and started to scream. Hermione headed her off. "Don't! They'll wake and try to kill you!" She whispered quickly; clamping a hand over the other woman's mouth. "We just came in and they tried to hold you up. These two knocked them out and I've already told the police what happened. Just go home. They're sending medics for these two now." The waitress, still a bit out of it from the memory charm, nodded mutely, and Hermione let her up. Tottering while still a bit unstable, the waitress went out the door and hailed a cab. Only when she was gone did Hermione turn back to the other three. "Alright, she's gone."

"Good thinking, Hermione." Harry had thought along these lines as well when first preparing to leave, but he didn't quite know what to do for her. "They'll wake soon. We'd better go." And with a final look around, the three turned on the spot and disapparated; landing on the stone front step of the house Harry had inherited from Sirius.

Grimmauld Place was just as musty as Harry had remembered it as he opened the door and got the other two inside. Closing it behind him, he heard the hissing of the oil lamps as they flared, but there was something different. The portrait of Sirius' mother was still tightly concealed behind her curtains, but the dust was gone. If he looked hard enough, he could have sworn he saw footprints in the layer on the floor as well. As if on cue, a voice came from what seemed to be all around them. It was easily recognizable as Mad Eye Moody's.

"Severus Snape?" Before he could answer, a rush of wind hit him and knocked him, Ron, and Hermione against the walls and door. Blinking as his eyes watered, Harry could also see a figure rising in the distance. Like a dust cloud, it solidified to form a body with long hair and beard that came hurtling toward him. He only had a few seconds to speak before it collided with them. Hermione and Ron's shout and scream were almost enough to drown his voice out.

"I didn't kill you!" The figure dissipated where it should have plowed into them, but it still left the three in a state of shock. Straightening up, Harry could hear Ron swear under his breath.

"Blimey, Mad-Eye thinks of everything, doesn't he?"

"He'd have to…" Hermione added as she picked up her bag after dropping it on the floor. "Snape knew all about headquarters, didn't he?" Anything Ron was going to offer in reply was drowned out by the deafening shrieks of the portrait of Mrs. Black hanging on the wall nearby.

"Filth! Mudbloods and traitors defiling the house of my father!"

"Stuff it, you miserable old hag!" As a familiar voice rang out, a loud bang issued from somewhere near the basement staircase, and as Sirius' mother disappeared behind her curtains again, Harry found a wand pointed square at his chest. The voice rasped slightly as it questioned him. "Which key revealed the truth in my office three years ago?"

"Erm…" It took Harry a moment to figure out just who was talking and what they were talking about. Then it hit him. "The seventh. It opened up a cellar-like hole." He could practically sense Ron and Hermione's confusion as he answered this. Harry had not told them exactly what had happened in Alastor Moody's office when it was discovered that Barty Crouch Jr. had used polyjuice potion to disguise himself as the ex-auror. They had heard what had become of the death eater but not what had happened before.

"Started to wonder." The wand lowered and Harry heard an odd clunking noise. Soon after, Alastor Moody stepped over the staircase's threshold. Looking rather ruffled, he extended a knobbly hand and Harry took it while holding back a shocked expression. Ron however, couldn't resist.

"But… Mad-Eye, I thought-"

"Thought that git Mundungus caused me to get myself killed." Motioning for them to follow him down into the kitchen, Moody spoke again. "Nearly took the tail end of the broom when he disapparated. Next time we cross paths, he won't be so fortunate."

"Going to kill him, then?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Harry had to grin at Moody's sarcasm in response to Ron's question. Mad-Eye hadn't killed anyone as far as Harry knew, but he wouldn't put it past him. Dung had nearly gotten more than a few people killed that night.

"So, what are you doing here?" Hermione had already prodded the empty grate with her wand, and flames had erupted. The room was alight in seconds.

"Good thing the idiot made it look like I was killed that night, Granger." Moody sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the table and was joined by the other three soon after. "Gave me time to do a little work while the wedding was going on."

"Did you find anything?" Harry asked with obvious hopes of an affirmative. "Do you know how they knew when to come after me?"

"That one I don't know yet. Mundungus was too much of an idiot to know who to tip off."

"I just don't know what gave me away." Harry shook his head in confusion. "Everyone had a broom, a trunk, and an owl hidden in their pocket so it wasn't like they'd tell a difference there."

"Well, consider what Hagrid told you when we first arrived." Looking more serious than angry, Moody interlaced his fingers while his magical eye darted around the room as if trying to spot something out of place. "He mentioned that he was the one that brought you to your relatives seventeen years ago. Who else do you think knew that?"

"Dunno…" Wracking his brains, all Harry could think of was one person. "Sirius knew because he leant Hagrid the motorbike, but I don't see him being all that keen on telling any of the wrong sort."

"Well…" Hermione, who had decided to rummage through the cabinets, found a few bottles of butterbeer and moved them to the table. Passing them around, she was surprised when Moody took the one she offered. "We don't exactly know where Pettigrew was. For all we know, he could have been in Godric's Hollow that night."

"Possible." Moody examined the bottle thoroughly before opening it and sniffing its contents.

"Still can't get over that…" Ron frowned as he wrenched open his butterbeer and took a small drink. "Then again, twelve years is a ruddy long time to keep a rat."

"Yeah, well…" Moody growled as he finally seemed satisfied with the contents of the bottle. "Days are numbered. Dark Lord doesn't have a place in his ranks for a weasel like that." Turning back to Harry he settled both eyes on him. "Now Potter, on to important matters. I see you three aren't bothering to go back to the castle. What are you doing here?"

"Dumbledore left something for us to do." Harry answered truthfully; he knew that there was no point in trying to keep something like this from Alastor Moody. The man would have known he was being dishonest.

"Wouldn't have something to do with this now, would it?" Moody reached into is pocket, and to Harry's astonishment, pulled out the fake horcrux. "Don't leave these things lying about. Picked it up at your place just before we left."

"Yes." Taking the offered locket from Moody, Harry opened it and extracted the note. "I suppose you've read this, then."

"And I might have an answer to your question."

"My…" Harry stopped when he realized. He hadn't asked a question, but it was obvious. "Right, so you think you know who R.A.B. is?"

"Have a look upstairs. Think you'll find something useful."

Not waiting a moment more, Harry nodded. As he left the kitchen, he went straight for the first landing. There was really nothing out of the ordinary. He, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasleys had been on this floor a good bit while they had occupied the house. Moving to the second floor, he looked through the bedrooms and saw that Phineas Nigellus Black's portrait was thankfully empty. As he searched Sirius' bedroom however, something stuck out. The room was decorated in Gryffindor colors and had an air of familiarity about it. Sure, there was still the gloomy appeal due to it being part of this house, but it was easier on the eyes. He found something sticking out of one of the dresser drawers as he passed that made him stop. It was a letter from his mother to Sirius.

Reading it, Harry realized that from early on, Sirius had been part of his life; he had bought Harry his first broomstick and there was proof of it in this letter. Lily had enclosed a picture of Harry as a baby flying around on a small broom very close to the ground. The letter however, was torn. It mentioned that Lily and James hated that Sirius couldn't come for Harry's birthday due to the danger of it. It mentioned something about Dumbledore, but that was where the parchment ended. Wondering about it, Harry took the photo and parchment and put it in the mokeskin pouch. As he did, his hand brushed against another roll of parchment, and he suddenly had an idea. Pulling it out along with a self-inking quill he had gotten from Fred and George for his birthday, Harry unrolled the parchment and wrote a short message on it that vanished as soon as he was done.

" _Dolohov and Raul followed after leaving the Burrow but we are safe for the moment. Good news: Mad-Eye is alive."_

As his scarlet ink faded, Harry went to replace the parchment, but a short message appeared in familiar narrow emerald script.

" _I trust the death eaters were dealt with?"_

As his had before, the emerald words vanished just after he had read them. Harry pulled a chair to the desk and sat down to respond. His message was a bit longer.

" _Yes. Confronted them in a muggle café and left them stunned. Wiped their memories as well as the waitress who saw it all. Did everyone make it out alright?"_

" _No casualties."_ There was a pause as Harry read the two words. For a moment, he thought he heard footsteps on the stairs outside the bedroom, but dismissed it when the noise stopped. Moody had obviously searched the house and had found no threats, so no one was here that didn't need to be. Looking back down to the parchment again, he saw words appearing again. _"Just returned to the castle. I assume you will know this soon enough. The ministry has appointed Severus Snape as headmaster. Voldemort's influence is growing at an alarming rate. Must prepare for start of term. Keep me informed."_

" _Not sure what my next move is, but I will."_ Definitely hearing footfalls on the stairs this time, Harry rolled up the parchment and placed it in the pouch again along with his quill. Rising from the chair, he crossed the room and headed for the door opposite of Sirius' bedroom. This one had a warning to those who trespassed which Harry ignored. Trying the door, he saw that it was locked, so he withdrew his wand and tapped the handle lightly. "Alohomora." Immediately, the lock clicked and the door swung open. When he entered, he saw the name on the door. Muttering it to himself, something clicked. "Regulus Arcturus Black…" Not even registering what was in the room, he headed back downstairs two at a time. Once he reached the ground level, he moved to the kitchen where Ron, Hermione, and Moody were still sitting. "You think Regulus Black is R.A.B., don't you?"

"Took you long enough." Moody's mouth twitched as he looked Harry over. "Only one person will know for sure. Good luck finding him. I haven't while I've been here."

"Harry, mind if we look around his room, then?" Ron asked this while standing up. "Feel like I need to be doing something."

"Sure. I'll see what I can find here." He watched Ron and Hermione head up the stairs, and when he turned back, Moody was looking at him with both magical and normal eyes. "Something wrong?"

"Saw what you were doin' up there in Sirius' room." Harry had come to expect this. Moody's eye could see through many things. "Who was it?"

"Could you-"

"Couldn't read it. Just saw you were writing and the words disappeared. Not foolin' with dark magic are you?"

"No." Harry decided to let Moody in on what he was doing. It was fair enough for him to know. "Ran into Professor McGonagall at the wedding. This" he paused as he removed the parchment from the mokeskin bag. "is a means of keeping in contact while I'm dealing with those." He motioned to the locket that still lay on the table from where he had put it down earlier.

"Right. I know what that's used for. I want to know if that's really her."

"Sir?" Harry was almost dumbstruck by Moody's words, but in a way, he understood. Talking to someone who he couldn't be one hundred percent certain of would jeopardize everything. Opening the parchment again, Harry wrote a message explaining the situation.

" _Moody apparently saw me upstairs earlier. He wants to check-"_ Before Harry could even finish the thought, words appeared.

" _Very well."_

"Says "very well"." Harry read aloud seeing as Moody couldn't see what was written. It was a marvel that he couldn't. Harry had to wonder just where she had come across this pair of scrolls.

"Ask her what her reaction was when she found out the identity of those responsible for the murder of her mother." Harry paused before he wrote it down. It was a deeply personal question, but he didn't have much choice. When he finished, he waited a moment before an answer appeared. He swore he saw signs of a shaking hand in the script.

" _I swore I would kill them by means of dismemberment."_

"She swore she would kill them by means of dismemberment." Harry extended the response to Moody who nodded curtly.

"It's her."

" _He's satisfied."_ Harry wrote this quickly, and after a few minutes, he got a response.

" _Tell him to find Arthur Weasley. He will know where to start looking."_

"She says to find Mr. Weasley; that you'll know where to look." Rolling up the parchment again, Harry placed it back into the mokeskin and looked over to the fireplace. "Now, I need answers about this locket." He thought for a moment before speaking again. "When we were scouring this place while Sirius lived here, I swear I saw this in one of the drawers. Threw it in the rubbish sack when we couldn't open it. I wonder if Kreacher got it…"

"Well, if he did, he doesn't have it now." Moody looked over toward the boiler room where Kreacher had his "bed" and possessions. "Searched through this place when I got here. All valuables are gone."

"Kreacher!" With a loud crack, the house elf appeared. Old and ragged as ever, Kreacher regarded Harry with forced pleasure.

"Master summoned Kreacher?"

"I have something I need to ask you." Harry began. He remembred what Dumbledore had said about the elf, and thought Hermione might be happy if he followed her lead. "When we were clearing away a lot of stuff over a year ago, we found something that looks like this." Pulling the locket from the table, he showed it to Kreacher, who leaned forward with wide eyes. "I don't care that you took it; actually I'm thankful you did. Where is it?"

"Kreacher doesn't know." He seemed to be telling the truth. There wasn't a resentful tone in his voice at the moment. "Kreacher had many things and they are gone."

"Who took them?" Harry had a feeling he already knew, having encountered the assumed thief nearly a year ago. "Who took this, Kreacher? I order you to tell me."

"Stole everything: Master's ring, Mistress' broach, stole everything with the Black family crest-"

"Mundungus Fletcher… Did he steal it?"

"Took all of it."

"Find him." Harry had a feeling Moody was thinking the same thing as he gave the order. "Find Dung and bring him back here." With another crack, Kreacher was gone. Ron and Hermione came back down the stairs as Harry looked back up.

"Harry, what was that about?" Hermione had sat down beside him while Ron took the chair opposite her. "Was that Kreacher?"

"Yeah. He reckons Dung stole the real locket." Harry had suspected this due to his running into the man with a sack full of goblets that bore the Black family crest in Hogsmeade the previous year. "He just left to get him."

"Reckon he still has it?" Ron asked as he lazily directed a crudely folded paper airplane around the room with his wand. "I mean… Dung has been selling off a lot, hasn't he?"

"Makes a living off being a thief." Moody had just gotten done saying this when a patronus glided through the doorway and stopped short on the table. Arthur Weasley's voice spoke from it.

"Family is safe. Do not reply. We are being watched." When the patronus vanished, the room was silent; save for Ron's sigh of relief. Harry would have done the same, had a yawn not been on the verge of leaving him.

"Go on, you three. Get some sleep." Moody stood and stumped toward the stairs. "Got a few things to do before I leave in the morning."

"You're leaving?" Hermione stood with Harry and Ron as Alastor looked back at them. "Everyone thinks you're dead."

"Easier to get things done, then." Getting up the stairs, Moody headed fr the drawing room, where Harry had seen the trunk with seven locks on it. "One of the advantages of having an invisibility cloak, eh Potter?"

"Never got that one from Sturgis Podmore, did you, Mad-Eye?" Ron was on the stairs and looking down at the ex-auror now. "Heard he had it during our fifth year."

"Managed it." Looking to Harry again as he and Hermione joined Ron on the stairs, Moody narrowed his normal eye. "Keep what Dumbledore said about that elf in mind, Potter. Choose your words carefully. Don't want him to go off and alert the remaining Black family that you're here."

"I will, thanks." As they started up the stairs to the bedrooms, hey caught Moody's last comment.

"And do something about that blasted portrait of Phineas Nigellus. Don't trust him to keep his mouth shut."

The three headed up to the bedrooms, and Harry decided on taking Sirius' old one. Ron and Hermione went for the boys' old bedroom where Phineas' portrait was still empty. When Harry opened the door again, he was met with a rush of wings and a blur of white flying around his head. Only when the thing settled on his shoulder and nipped his ear did he realize just who it was. "Hedwig!"

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention that! Bird showed up a bit before you lot!"


	3. A Vision, A Proposal, and A Problem

**Hallowed**  
 _Chapter Three: A Vision, A Proposal, and A Problem_

* * *

Harry found that he couldn't really sleep that night. Lying on Sirius' bed, he stroked Hedwig and thought of everything that had happened. After he and Albus Dumbledore had found the fake horcrux and the headmaster had been killed and honored on the grounds of Hogwarts, Harry had returned to the Dursleys' and had had to explain to them that they would need to go into hiding. When they had finally agreed, he had actually seemed to make peace with his cousin, who had gone so far as to shake his hand. Even his aunt, Petunia, had seemed to want to say something to him before she had walked out the door with Emmeline Vance, but in the end, she hadn't. After that, they had moved him to the burrow, there had been a beautiful wedding, and Harry realized that there was someone else that had been there throughout his life; even if he didn't really know it. That seemed like ages ago, though.

For now, he was sitting here and wondering just where this journey for the horcruxes would lead him. They hadn't found the real locket, and there were still three more after that. Hufflepuff's goblet was one, and the snake, Nagini; Harry was sure of this due to the closeness of Voldemort to her. The last one, he wasn't sure of. It was more than likely something significant to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but that wasn't much to go on. Deciding on something before he attempted to go to sleep, Harry got up from the bed and used his wand to clear away the dust and cobwebs around the room. With a final flick of his wand, he lit the candles in the chandelier above and in the bracket on the wall. That seemed to improve the room's outlook greatly. Finally pulling on some pajamas from his rucksack, Harry dropped back onto the bed and pulled out his mother's letter to Sirius. He read it once more before finally closing his eyes to sleep.

* * *

He could see a thin white hand stretching out and pointing an accusing finger; the man before him was thin, ragged, and his silver eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. The voice that spoke was filled with a fury that was barely contained. "You said it would work; that using another's wand would allow me to do it! You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"

"N-no!" The cracked and raspy voice of Garrick Ollivander was only slightly muffled by the angry hissing from the great snake around Voldemort's shoulders. "I… I thought it would work-"

"You wish to protect Harry Potter… You would lie to me to save him?"

"That is all I know! Without the twin cores…" The old man was flustered and confused as to why it had happened. "I cannot explain-"

"Lucius' wand was destroyed by the boy's!" Angry to the point of exploding, Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Ollivander. "I cannot use my own against him! I need no more excuses, Ollivander; you will give me what I seek. Crucio!"

The man's frail body twisted and writhed beneath him, and Voldemort's high-pitched laughter echoed. He held his wand steady until the man was clawing at the air in an attempt to stop the pain. Only when his words became utter nonsense did the dark lord lift his wand.

"Now, you will tell me, Ollivander… I seek a powerful wand; one that will destroy Harry Potter and all those who stand to defend him."

"I do not know…"

"Then you will tell me of those who do!" With another jab of his wand, Voldemort cast the cruciatus curse again and watched its effect. Lifting it a short while later, he spoke in a deathly quiet voice. "Who would know better than yourself, Ollivander?"

"G-Gregorovich…"

* * *

Harry was awakened by the sound of Hedwig hooting softly beside him. Sitting up, he felt the bedcovers pull at him; clearly, he had been moving a bit in his sleep. He felt something sharp sticking his nose, and when he raised his hand, he felt the bridge of his glasses' jagged point where it had broken. Blinking, he realized that one of the lenses had been cracked as well. Harry took them off and collected his wand from the nightstand. He held the two halves of his glasses in his palm and pointed his wand at them. Within seconds, the bridge had mended and the lense was smooth and no longer cracked.

Standing up carefully, Harry stretched and looked around the room; it was late morning or early afternoon. Still keeping the sheer curtains pulled, it gave the bedroom a milky glow. He eyed the watch Mrs. Weasley had given him and saw that it was a quarter past one in the afternoon. As he opened the door, he heard voices from the landing, and they seemed to be getting closer. This was confirmed when Hermione came into view.

"Harry, good you're up." Entering the room, she nodded at his attempt to clear away the dust, old candle wax, and general unkemptness. When she returned her attention to him, Harry saw a question in her eyes and waited for it. "I thought of getting a Daily Prophet as well as some food for our stay here. Do you mind if I use the invisibility cloak?"

"Not at all. I think it's still in your bag."

"Right, just making sure. Oh, and Mad-Eye's gone. He left first thing this morning. He left a note saying that there are watchers around the house."

"Watchers…" Harry went to his bedroom window and barely pulled back the sheer curtains. Sure enough, there were two hooded figures standing out around the square. Thankfully, their attention was directed elsewhere. "Wonder how they know we're here."

"They probably don't." Hermione had joined him in peering out the window. "Snape probably told them to look in this area, but they wouldn't find the house, even if he told them about it."

"Looks like now is as good a time as ever. Where's Ron?"

"Down in the drawing room. He's got an old wizarding wireless and is tuning it; trying to hear news."

"Right. Tell him I'll be down in a minute." Seeing Hermione nod as she left, Harry didn't mention what he had seen. He knew her reaction; it would be her telling him not to let Voldemort in. It was dangerous for im to be able to see into his mind, and she was right. Harry had to admit though, that what he saw was illuminating. Voldemort was after something; a wand that would not be destroyed by Harry's. The name Gregorovich seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before.

Quickly changing into the clothing he had worn the night previous, Harry laced up his trainers and was prepared to leave when he decided on something. Pulling out the parchment from the mokeskin, Harry wrote down a single statement and didn't wait for a reply before placing it back.

" _Voldemort has Ollivander."_

Heading down the stairs, Harry looked for signs of Kreacher's return; the elf was nowhere to be found, so it seemed he was still locating Mundungus. He found Ron in the drawing room. The wizarding wireless was perched on a spindly table and Ron was prodding it with his wand. When there were voices heard, he stopped and listened closely, but the voice was rattling off names of the dead that neither he nor Harry knew. When Ron looked up, he saw he wasn't alone.

"Harry, finally up, are you?"

"Yeah."

"Sleep well?"

"Not really." Sitting down on the couch beside Ron, Harry considered telling him what he had seen. Ron was more likely to find it interesting and useful. "Saw something last night."

"You mean…" Ron lowered his voice as if afraid the portraits would overhear and object. "You mean you saw what he was doing again?"

"Yeah. He's got Ollivander." And Harry explained all that he had seen during the night. "Ollivander said a name, Gregorovich. That's all I know."

"Gregorovich…" Ron looked in thought for a moment. "Sure he didn't say 'Gorgovich", one of the players for the Cannons?"

"No. Pretty sure he said Gregorovich." Harry kept combing his thoughts; trying to remember where he had heard the name. He could have sworn he had heard Mr. Ollivander say it once before, but when…

"Don't think he's another dark wizard, do you?"

"Don't think so; I've never heard his name in conversation about the dark arts. Swear I've heard it before though…"

"Reckon Mad-Eye would have known?" Ron kept the wireless on, even as the names had already been called. "Wonder where he was headed."

"I guess the Order had a few other safe houses set up. Could have gone to one of them. Then again, he might have gone off to get more information on the ministry takeover."

"That's just mad, Harry." This seemed to be something Ron was ready and waiting to discuss. "I mean how is it that all these witches and wizards that are supposed to be on our side just stand aside when death eaters come knocking?"

"Dunno. I wonder how they got Scrimgeour." Harry hadn't had a reason to like the most recent minister, but Rufus Scrimgeour would have been the least likely to fold due to his being head of the auror office at one point. If it had been Fudge, then it was understandable. That man would have been so flustered he would have surrendered within seconds.

"Wonder what that means for Hogwarts."

"Well…" Harry thought back to his written conversation with McGonagall the previous night. "I know one thing. They've got a new headmaster."

"Figured McGonagall would take over after Dumbledore." Ron said this with a slightly uplifted expression. "Run a decent school, she can."

"It's not her." He didn't know how Ron would take his knowing what was happening, but Harry had a backup reason for knowing if he asked. "Snape's headmaster now."

"Snape!" Ron deadpanned. "Who'd let that greasy git be headmaster?"

"A death eater controlled ministry, maybe."

"Hold on, how do you know he's headmaster? McGonagall couldn't have known at the wedding. Ministry was still ours-"

"Moody told me while you two were upstairs." The answer rolled off his tongue like it was the truth. "Must have found out something while he was here." Harry wasn't quite ready to tell them about the twin scrolls of parchment just yet. He knew Ron and Hermione would both have loads of questions, and he had a few of his own, but that didn't matter at the moment. There would be time to find answers after they had gotten the original locket and had made headway in finding the other horcruxes.

"Blimey, man's got connections, doesn't he?" Harry was prepared to answer, when they heard Moody's voice ring out in the hall again.

"Severus Snape?"

"Must be Hermione coming back, but that'd be too quick." Ron pulled his wand from his belt; Harry meanwhile, had already gotten up and was standing at the door looking out into the hall. The rush of wind sent dust flying, and the ghostly figure of Albus Dumbledore rose to meet the newcomer.

"It was not I who killed you, Albus."

"Is that Lupin?" Ron asked in a low voice, but Harry had headed out the door and rounded the corner; pointing his wand at the cloaked newcomer.

"Identify yourself." He said it in a firm tone that brokered no argument. The figure straightened up and raised its hands in a surrendering manner.

"I am Remus Lupin, or Moony of the four Marauders. I taught you how to produce a patronus in your third year, Harry; it is a stag, like your father's animagus form. Near the full moon, Severus Snape had you studying werewolves in the hope that one of you would identify me as one."

"It's him." Harry lowered his wand and extended his hand, which Remus shook. "It's good to see you, Remus."

"Good to know that you two got away from the wedding well enough." Remus shrugged off his long traveling cloak and hung it on the wall near the troll-legged umbrella stand. "Wait, where's Hermione? I assumed she was with you."

"She used the cloak to get a Prophet and some supplies." Harry said as they headed down to the kitchen. "Figured we needed to keep up with the ministry takeover and all."

"A good thing too." Remus pulled a copy of the Evening Prophet from his shabby charcoal robes and smoothed it out on the table before sitting down. "Pius Thicknesse is the replacement for Scrimgeour from what I understand. I don't really have a take on him yet, but If he was placed there by the dark lord… well, you know what that means."

"Seeing as Scrimgeour was killed by death eaters and all, I'd say that's a good guess." Harry thought of Kingsley's warning at the wedding. Something hit him, though. "Hang on. Remus, where's Tonks?"

"She's safe at her mother's."

"Thought she'd be with you, or at least close by." Ron voiced this while Harry nodded.

"It was safer for her to be there rather than with me." Remus looked slightly uncomfortable, but he elaborated. "She… She's pregnant."

"Excellent!" Ron shook Remus' hand, closely followed by Harry.

"Congratulations." He did notice that Remus wasn't too thrilled about it, or didn't seem so. "Something bothering you about that?"

"Well, the whole thing is bothering me." Lupin had to admit this with a slight frown. "She's thrilled, and I am for her, but… He could be like me. That is one thing I would never wish on a child."

"There's a chance he won't though, right?" Harry assumed there was a chance that the boy wouldn't be a werewolf; there had to be.

"There is a chance…" Lupin leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. "I just don't know, though. There isn't enough known about this condition to say."

"So, what are you doing here?" Ron, who was ready to change the subject to benefit Lupin, went on. "Doing work for the Order?"

"Well," Grateful for the change, Remus thought for a second before answering. "I was actually wondering if I might join you." At Harry and Ron's curious looks, he continued. "I need to be doing something useful. It was hard but good work trying to sway werewolves to our side back before You Know Who took over. Now I'm afraid, it is no good. He's recruited Greyback and promised him free reign over those he captures. Harry, you've met him; you know what he's like."

"What about Tonks, Remus?" Harry felt something odd coming over him as he questioned this. "Are you just going to put yourself in harm's way, act on impulse, and do something foolish while she is at home with her mother?"

"I'm not making this choice lightly, Harry." Remus' tone hardened slightly while still carrying traces of hope. "I'm doing this for her and our son. I can be of use to you in whatever you're set out to do-"

"I think" Harry felt a definite anger rising within him, and he paid no mind to the voice of Moody calling out "Severus Snape?" again. "I think, Remus, that you're not ready to face this. You're afraid of what your son's future holds." Before Remus could continue, Harry spoke again. "I think that you're ready to go off and do something reckless like Sirius did and you're not going to consider what might happen if you get killed."

"Harry-"

"Don't." Harry snapped at Ron, who had given him a flabbergasted look. "Don't defend him, Ron. He's being a coward-"

"Don't call me a coward." Remus' voice had turned cold as he glared at Harry. "Don't ever call me a-"

"That's what you are acting like." Harry cut him off; barely noticing Hermione re-entering the kitchen. The two men had stood and were facing each other over the table. "You're ready to run off and do something stupid and leave your son, Remus. Don't forget, I know what it's like not having a real Mum and Dad around."

"Lily and James didn't do something foolish!" Remus bellowed. "They died to protect you!"

"Yeah, and that isn't what you're running off to do!" Harry slammed his fist on the table to make a point. "You're just scared of facing something that you think is a mistake! I've got news for you, Remus: If you go off on your own and do something stupid and you get killed, he'll never forgive you for it."

"He isn't you-"

"You're damn right he isn't!" Harry, whose temper had flared, glared daggers at Remus. "He won't be forced to live with relatives who thought he was no better than the dirt they walked on. He won't be stuck wishing there was some way he could just see his parents and ask them why they did what they did. Go home, Remus; where your real responsibilities lie. I don't need you here."

Without a word, Remus turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs. They could hear the front door slam and a muffled crack from where he disapparated. This left Harry to turn his back on the others in the room to stare at the fire. He had said many things he may regret later, but all of them were meant for Remus to hear. He knew Lily and James Potter had died for him and he was infinitely grateful for their sacrifice, but Harry could find no reason for Remus to be leaving his wife and son for this.

"Harry…" Hermione's uncertain tone finally cut through the hot fury that was still buzzing in his head. "Harry, are you alright? That couldn't have been easy."

"No." It was an answer to both of her questions. He was still angry with Remus' suggestion and motives, and he was angry with himself for losing his temper in such a way. "Sorry you two had to hear that." Turning to face them again, he saw the pair exchange looks. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Did you find anything, Hermione?"

"I did." Removing a common grocery sack, Hermione emptied it on the table. There were a few cartons of butterbeer, large jugs of pumpkin juice, and a box of teabags and sugar. As for food, Harry saw a few loaves of bread, ham, turkey, cheese, and chips. It would do while they were here. She also held a rolled up copy of the day's Prophet. "Harry, you won't believe who is headmaster now-"

"I know. Snape." Harry looked over the store contents and a thought occurred to him. "Hang on." H moved up the stairs and into Sirius' room. Looking through his rucksack, he found what he was looking for. It was a brass teapot he had found in Diagon Alley back when he had gone shopping there last with the Weasleys. The pot was self-working. All he had to do was tap it with his wand and it would brew a large kettle of tea. It had come in handy some this summer while he was at the Dursleys'. Bringing it along now, he assumed they wouldn't always be able to have something to drink on hand. It was luck that Hermione had gotten the teabags and sugar. Bringing it downstairs, he placed it on the kitchen table for everyday use, which Hermione was thankful for.

"Oh, I was hoping you brought that!" Opening the kettle, she pointed her wand at it. "Aguamenti." With the kettle filled, she placed two teabags into it and a lump of sugar. Harry then closed the kettle and tapped it with his wand. Immediately, it started to warm up. When that was done, Hermione began making sandwiches for the three of them. As she did this, she spoke again. "How did you know?"

"Moody told me last night while you and Ron were upstairs." Harry looked over the Prophet's column but stopped dead when he saw the large picture under the headlines. "Hermione… Did you notice who was on the front page?"

"No. I only had time to skim the column before I saw someone looking at the moving photographs." At Ron's laugh, she clarified. "Muggle store. They would have… panicked if they saw a newspaper's images move. Do you want this toasted, you two?"

"Sure." Both said this as they poured over the paper. It wasn't hard to see why Harry had asked Hermione about the front page. On it, they saw the new Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse, a death eater known as Yaxley, and to the Minister's left, a very toad-like woman with pink robes.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge to head the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office and chair the Muggle-Born Registration Committee." Harry read with contempt. "Honestly, I think Christmas just came early for her."

"No kidding." Ron was glaring at the woman who was smiling broadly up from the cover of the Prophet. "Woman's got more power now. Good thing they didn't send her back to Hogwarts, though."

"Yeah." Harry thought of their astronomy O.W.L. during fifth year. "I think she'd have another go at McGonagall, Trelawney, Hagrid, and Ferenze."

"I think Ferenze would scare her out of her nickers." Ron said this with a grin. "You saw what happened when I drummed my fingers against the bedside table in the hospital wing."

"Do you honestly think she could have taken another attack like that?" Hermione had finished with the sandwiches and brought them to the table along with mugs for the now finished tea. "McGonagall, I mean. I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Professor Sprout after we got back from the ministry. They both agreed she was lucky."

"Four stunners-"

"Five, had Umbridge been fast enough." Harry added.

"Yeah. Not exactly young, is she?" Ron started on his sandwich and looked to Hermione with gratitude. "Thanks loads, Hermione."

"Anytime." Hermione offered him a smile and started eating her own after pouring up the tea. "No, she isn't."

"Too bad it wasn't a proper duel." Harry said as he took a sip of tea. "Heard Madam Pomfrey say something about even giving Dumbledore a run for his money had Umbridge attacked in broad daylight." This brought Harry back to the answer to Moody's security question. He had seen his head of house angry, but had never faced her unbridled fury. It was something he hoped to never do. Still, would she have done it? Harry had to admit he would have liked to have seen her duel Umbridge properly. The toad wouldn't have stood a chance.

"So, any word from Kreacher?" Hermione's question was met with a shake of the head from Harry. "I wonder where Mundungus disapparated to after seeing him that night…"

"Dunno." Ron finished a corner of his sandwich and took a long gulp of tea. "Reckon I might have considered it if I saw him coming at me like that, though. Do you really think he has the locket, Harry?"

"I can only hope so."

For the next day and a half, Harry, Ron and Hermione spent he time together in an attempt to ward off the tension. They all knew that it was only a matter of time before Voldemort realized that all of his horcruxes were in danger, but Harry hoped that wouldn't be until it was too late to protect them. As his luck ran, that usually meant that it wouldn't happen, and he would begin to check on the pieces of his soul he had left behind. Thankfully, this topic could be pushed from Harry's mind by means of Ron and Hermione's distractions: Ron had left a chess set in their old bedroom, and he would play on occasion. Hermione also insisted that they keep sharp on their spells, so they would spend maybe an hour or two reading over past copies of _The Standard Book of Spells: Grades 1-7_. Hermione had thought ahead and bought the last volume in the series before meeting the Weasleys at the Burrow early in the summer.

"I remember when you used to practically sleep with that book." Ron commented as he saw Hermione putting _Hogwarts: A History_ aside. "Quoted it in our first year when we walked into the Great Hall for the first time."

"It was an interesting read." Hermione said with a hint of nostalgia. "And for your information Ronald, I did not sleep with it."

"Bet she did." Ron muttered under his breath while Harry grinned.

"I heard that." The glare Hermione shot Ron was ruined by her mouth twitching into a grin. "Actually, I was looking for that book on horcruxes that I borrowed from Dumbledore's study. If we're going to find them we need to know how to destroy them. I highly doubt standard spells will work."

"Good that you have that book." Ron went sorting through the pile of books on the sofa they were sitting on to help in finding it. "Not this old black one, is it?"

"Yes." Carefully turning the pages after Ron had handed it over, Hermione's eyes scanned the pages carefully. A few times, she made a face at what she was reading. When she found what she was looking for, she frowned. "This is a problem."

"Let me guess, we need a basilisk fang to destroy them." Harry offered with a slight sarcastic air. He knew that the fang had destroyed Riddle's diary in second year, so the venom must be a good means of getting rid of the remaining horcruxes.

"Actually, you're close." Hermione's expression changed from frustrated to one of understanding. "Of course! Harry, you're brilliant!"

"What?" Both he and Ron had looked up at Hermione's words. "I was being sarcastic."

"No, I've just remembered something from _Hogwarts: A History_! The sword of Gryffindor; you used it to kill the basilisk."

"Right…"

"It's goblin-made! Rust and dirt have no effect on it. That's what makes those sorts of things very valuable. Goblin-made objects only take in that which makes them stronger." At Ron's look of confusion, Hermione finally explained. "You stabbed the basilisk to kill it, so the sword was impregnated with basilisk venom. That must be why Dumbledore left it to you, Harry."

"That's brilliant Hermione, but there's one problem;" Harry remembered what Scrimgeour said during the evening of his birthday. "The sword is gone from Dumbledore's office. No one knows where it is."

"I know, but at least now we know why he left it." Scanning the page again, Hermione went on. "Fiend fire can destroy them, but you have to be an idiot to try and control it."

"Fiend fire…" Harry had read that term somewhere. "Hang on. I read a bit about that while I was looking in the restricted section for Flamel."

"Then you were looking in the wrong section." Hermione couldn't suppress a smile as she said this. "I'm not sure what else there is to go on. The sword or basilisk fangs would be ideal, but it would take work to get those."

"If nothing else, we could collect the horcruxes we know of and then destroy them later when we have the means." Ron suggested, and Harry nodded. "Only way I can see it working, seeing as we don't have the sword or a basilisk skull to pull teeth."

Hermione had just opened her mouth to reply when there was a crack from down below. Harry and Ron joined her at the door and drew their wands. Edging down the stairs, there were sounds of a struggle, and Harry heard the unmistakable protests of Mundungus Fletcher. He quickened his pace and darted down the stairs that led to the kitchen; when he rounded the corner, he was greeted by a man with wild ginger hair and a moldy looking overcoat. Flanking him were two house elves; Kreacher was pulling on Dung's left and-

"Dobby!"

* * *

 **A/N:** So, there are three chapters so far. I'll be posting the next few in a few days. Thanks for reading.

Cheers!


	4. Kreacher's Tale

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Four: Kreacher's Tale_

* * *

Harry couldn't believe that Dobby, the Malfoys' former house elf, had appeared here. Stepping forward, he had to hold back a smile; Dobby still wore Ron's old Weasley sweater and the mismatched socks Harry had gotten him in Hogsmeade.

"Dobby and Kreacher have found Mundungus Fletcher, Harry Potter." The house elf squeaked as he and the older elf nudged the balding man forward.

"Kreacher found the thief at Master's request." Kreacher did not bow, but there was a difference in his tone as he spoke to Harry.

"Thank you, Kreacher; and you too, Dobby. It's good to see you."

"Dobby hoped to see Harry Potter again, Sir. He found Kreacher looking for Mundungus Fletcher and wanted to help."

"Brilliant." Having ignored Dung's protests, Harry finally approached the man who was attempting to shake off the house elves on his arms. "I believe you have something I need, Dung."

"That why you sent blooming house rats after me then?"

"I suggest you shove it-" Ron started.

"Don't, Ron." Hermione held him back as he prepared to point his wand at the man. "That won't get us anywhere."

"You stole something that looked like this when you looted the place-" Harry was prepared for Dung's protests. "Don't deny it! You stole a locket like this last year. Where is it?"

"What's it worth?" The wild expression on Mundungus' face when Harry showed him the fake horcrux told the tale.

"So you still have it, then?" Hermione asked coldly.

"No, he thinks he should have gotten more for it." Ron corrected while pointing his wand at Dung finally. "Where is it, Dung?"

"I dunno, do I?" Looking from Ron, to Harry, then Hermione, and back, the man paid no mind to Kreacher; the elf had pulled off a large cast iron pan from the shelf and was ready to whack him with it.

"Kreacher, don't." Harry said sharply as the elf looked prepared to swing. "Let us get the information out of him." Thinking for a moment, he spoke again. "If he tries to bolt, then by all means…"

"Thank you, Master." Kreacher reluctantly lowered the pan but had it ready in the event Dung tried to run.

"Where is it now, Dung?" Harry had crossed the distance and had gripped the neck of the man's coat. "Who has it?"

"Er…" Flustered, Dung's eyes flitted around the room for a moment. "I was off sellin' in Diagon Alley and some ol' ministry hag threatened to shut me away. Said she wanted to see my license." Seeing the three growing impatient, he hurried on. "Saw the locket and had to have it. Said she'd be on her way."

"Who was she!" Ron bellowed.

"Dunno-" Searching the room again, his eyes fell on the old Prophet that Hermione had brought back when she had gotten food and drink. "There! That's her! Ruddy bow and everything!"

"Umbridge."

"Yeah, that's the one." Dung straightened up, looking less fidgety. "Right, now that's cleared up, I can go, eh?"

"Not just yet." Harry turned to the pot-bearing house elf. "Kreacher." The older house elf hauled off and hammered Dung in the back with the pot and the man fell over, howling. "That was for stealing from him. Now, you can go."

Dung shot a murderous look toward Harry before rushing toward the front door. When it closed, they heard him disapparate. Harry turned back to the other four in the room and thought about what the thief had just said. Dolores Umbridge had gotten the locket off him, so that would require a trip to the ministry. Harry sat down at the table nearby and rotated the fake horcrux in his hands slowly, and then a thought occurred to him.

"Kreacher," Ron and Hermione joined him as he spoke to the elf. "Why did Regulus have the other locket that looked like this?"

"Master Regulus was loyal to the Dark Lord."

"Did he tell Regulus to keep it safe?"

"Master Regulus was more loyal to the noble house of Black, Not like Master Sirius." The elf was trying to avoid the question, and Harry realized it.

"Kreacher, I order you: tell me why Regulus had the locket."

"Master was loyal." Kreacher repeated, As Harry went to speak again, Hermione held him back by touching his arm. Kreacher continued. "Master Regulus said the Dark Lord had a job for Kreacher, so he took Kreacher to him." The elf's voice shook slightly; whether it was out of fear or not wanting to reveal what happened, Harry didn't know. "The Dark Lord took Kreacher to a cave. He took Kreacher across a lake and told Kreacher to drink…" Harry realized just what the elf was talking about.

"He made you drink the green potion."

"Kreacher drank it. It hurt-" His voice cracked, and the elf sat down on the floor and hugged his knees.

"I know it did…" Flashes of Dumbldore's begging him to make it stop came back to Harry, and he shook his head to clear it. "I saw that cave, Kreacher."

"He made Kreacher drink it all and then he put it in. He left Kreacher on the rocks!" Kreacher croaked. "Kreacher needed water, but there was only the lake… When he drank from it, hands grabbed Kreacher and pulled-"

"Inferi." Harry clarified at Ron and Hermione's startled glances. "He had inferi in the lake to keep anyone from getting the water."

"They dragged Kreacher down to the bottom."

"How did you get back here, Kreacher?" Hermione asked this next question to which Kreacher muttered something about Mudbloods, and Harry cut him off.

"Kreacher, do not insult her. Just answer her questions." The elf gave him a look of restrained indignation but answered.

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come home."

"Thought you said no one could apparate or disapparate in or out of the cave, Harry." Ron commented, and Dobby responded.

"House elves are different, Sir. Dobby can go places witches and wizards cannot, Sir."

"Of course…" Hermione muttered while looking over Kreacher and Dobby. "It's why house elves can apparate and disapparate within Hogwarts' grounds without special changes to the wards. Of course, they have made changes so that a wizard cannot perform side-along apparition with an elf."

"What happened next, Kreacher?" Harry prompted the elf while nodding in understanding to Hermione's explanation.

"Kreacher came home to Master Regulus. He didn't talk to Kreacher for days." The elf sounded saddened by this. "Then he came to Kreacher and told him to take Master Regulus back to the cave. He took Kreacher back across the lake and gave Kreacher that locket." Kreacher pointed a bony finger to the one Harry held in his hand. "He told Kreacher to put it in when the potion was gone-"

"He didn't make you drink it again, did he?" Hermione questioned; horror and pity in her brown eyes. Kreacher merely shook his head.

"Master Regulus began to drink-" The elf began to sob in anguish. At first, he could continue talking. "He drank and d-drank." The elf hiccupped as he rocked back and forth now. "He made Kreacher stay where he was; told him not to drink, not to get water."

"What happened next, Kreacher?" Harry had knelt down but kept his distance. "This is important. What did Master Regulus do next?"

"He-He told Kreacher to take the one inside and put that one in." Kreacher indicated the locket again. "He told Kreacher to destroy the real one…" Blowing his nose on the rag he wore, Kreacher continued in more of a broken voice with tears still leaking from his large brown eyes and nose still dripping. "Kreacher tried to get him to go home, but Master Regulus tried to drink from the lake. The hands d-d-dragged him down into the water. He told Kreacher to go h-home and destroy the locket." The words were getting hard to understand again as emotion took the elf. He managed his last few lines before dissolving again. "Kreacher tried and tried. Nothing he did worked! He tried breaking it, but …" After a second's pause, the elf made one last statement before throwing himself onto the hearthrug. "Kreacher failed Master Regulus!"

"Think that's all you'll get out of him, Harry." Ron muttered as Kreacher began beating his head against the rug. Hermione went to protest, but Harry spoke first.

"Maybe not…" Opening the locket to make sure the note was still safely within it, Harry spoke to the elf again. "Kreacher… Kreacher, stop!" The elf finally did, but didn't look up. "Kreacher, I need you to look at me now." When the elf turned his large eyes to his new master, Harry continued. "You didn't fail Regulus." Before the elf could speak, Harry went on. "You couldn't have destroyed the locket, and if Master Regulus had really understood, he wouldn't have told you to do it." Holding the fake horcrux out, Harry urged Kreacher to take it. "I want you to have this. It still has the note Regulus wrote in it."

Kreacher took the locket with a trembling hand and opened it. The note was still neatly folded within it, and when he read it, the elf looked up at Harry with nothing short of admiration. Making a deep bow to Harry, he put the locket around his neck and even managed a bow and a quirky nod to Ron and Hermione respectively. Harry thought about Dumbledore and Moody's advice; maybe being good to the elf would indeed change him. He wasn't sure. Harry then turned his attention to Dobby.

"Are you still working at Hogwarts, Dobby?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, Sir. Dobby still works in the kitchens and cleans Gryffindor Tower, Sir."

"Right, you might want to get back before they notice you're missing." Harry said it with regret. He loved seeing the free elf, but he didn't want him to lose a job he liked because of his showing up here. "It was great to see you again."

"Always a pleasure, Harry Potter, Sir." Dobby bowed and shook hands with Ron, Hermione, and Harry before he turned and disapparated.

"Got to figure out what we're going to do now." Ron said; sitting down on his chair again. "Umbridge has the real horcrux, so that meanswe have to go get it."

"Can't just walk into the Ministry of magic." Hermione sat down beside him and started thinking aloud. "We could use polyjuice potion again and disguise ourselves as Ministry officials, but that will take some time."

"Still have Moody's stash of polyjuice?"

"I've got just enough, I think." Hermione nodded to Ron. "Should be enough to get us into the ministry and out and we should have a bit left over for emergency use."

"Good then." Harry said quietly. "So, where do you reckon Umbridge keeps it?"

"If she knew how valuable the thing was, she'd probably keep it on her." Ron volunteered.

"Well, it has Slytherin's mark on it, so I'd say she knows just how valuable it is." Hermione quipped. "That makes it all the more worse, doesn't it? I mean, that means we'll have to get it off her."

"Gives us a reason to stun her." Harry offered. "Still have the scars from her… teaching method."

Over the next month, Ron and Hermione went to scout out the Ministry of Magic and its workers. They had found their means of entrance a few weeks ago and were simply deciding on who to impersonate. All three of them had to be "important" enough to get close to Umbridge, so this took careful planning. In the meantime, Harry spent his time doing what Molly Weasley and the others had started. The house was still way off from being homey. Most of the rooms had at least been checked for doxies and had been looted of all valuable and dark objects; the latter being done by Mundungus. Harry also spent time checking over copies of the Prophet that Kreacher was getting for him. Since he had been given Regulus' locket, the elf's whole demeanor had changed. His cooking was good enough to rival that of Mrs. Weasley, and he seemed to actually want them around.

Having cleared away a good bit of rubbish from Sirius' room and a few others, Harry sat on his godfather's bed and looked at the few other pictures he had found in that room. There was one of Sirius and James during Christmas holiday at Hogwarts. Both were pitted against each other alongside Pettigrew and Remus respectively. All four were pelting each other with snowballs. It was assumed that Lily had been the one to take the picture due to the neat script on the back that dated the photo "23 December". There was another picture of James and Lily apparently arguing about something. Lily's hands were up in the air as if to push James away, and his were in a surrendering position. Harry remembered the photograph he had kept in the mokeskin purse and pulled it out along with its other contents. The marauders' map fell open and was blank, but Harry had an idea.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He pulled his wand off of the side table and tapped the map lightly. Immediately, lines and dots appeared from where his wand had hit the parchment. Corridors, offices, classrooms, and common rooms were formed throughout, and Harry could see some familiar faces. Ginny was in the Gryffindor common room with Neville and Seamus while Luna was in the charms classroom talking with Filius Flitwick. Harry could also see Severus Snape's small dot pacing in the headmaster's study. Scanning the map, he nearly choked on his pumpkin juice when he saw two names. One was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on the third floor, and the other was in the Muggle Studies classroom on the fifth. Amycus and Alecto Carrow were apparently "teachers" now.

Eyes still moving over the map, they landed on the first floor. There were several hufflepuffs moving out from the transfiguration classroom. Its last inhabitant was pacing near her desk. It was hard for Harry to really think that this was the one he had been communicating off and on with. While looking at the blank parchment and writing down what was going on, he had a sense of depersonalization. It hit him that he had not checked the parchment for a response from his last statement that Voldemort had Ollivander. Unrolling it, he saw there was.

" _How do you know?"_ Moving to the desk, Harry debated on how to explain. Dumbledore had known about the connection he had shared with Voldemort, but did she? Surely, she did; Dumbledore would have said something… or at least he hoped.

" _I saw it; much like the same way I saw Mr. Weasley attacked at the Ministry nearly two years ago."_ Harry wrote while not wanting to remember the feeling of lunging at Arthur Weasley as the great snake, Nagini. _"He was angry that Lucius Malfoy's wand didn't work properly against me when he attacked us before the wedding."_ Harry still couldn't figure that one out. He had tried explaining to Ron and Hermione that his wand had spun on its own accord and had performed magic without his control. Both had insisted that he had just acted instinctively, but he knew different; there was just no way of convincing them of it. Words formed on the parchment as if written by an invisible hand, and Harry felt a surge of relief.

" _Molly did mention the attack on you and Hagrid when we spoke at the wedding. She seemed skeptical that your wand would act without your knowledge or control, but I have seen such things before."_

" _He was torturing him. Ollivander had said that another's wand would avoid the connection between the twin cores, but something still went wrong. I think he's looking for a more powerful wand."_ Having only expressed this view with Ron, Harry wasn't sure how his former professor would take this theory, but when she responded, her answer was clear.

" _Wands usurp each other for a reason. It is not always clear why. Not being partial to wand law myself, I can only speculate. There are tales of a wand that can best them all, but no such wand has been proven to exist."_

" _Does the name Gregorovich mean anything to you?"_ Harry couldn't help but pose this question. He wa still pondering it himself, and had come up with nothing.

" _Gregorovich? Mykew Gregorovich is a wandmaker; retired, from what I understand. Why do you ask?"_ Harry's heart leapt when he read this. He remembered just why that name sounded familiar. It was during the Tri-wizard tournament; Mr. Ollivander had been the one present during the weighing of the wands. He had commented that Krum's wand was a Gregorovich wand; 10 ¼ inches, hornbeam, and dragon heartstring core. Remembering to explain what he had just realized, Harry gripped the quill a bit tighter in concentration as he wrote.

" _Ollivander finally gave Voldemort Gregorovich's name after he had tortured him enough. I'm not sure why but he's after Gregorovich now; thinks he may have made the wand that could best mine."_

" _I am familiar with Priori Incantatem, but it is difficult to understand…"_ There was a pause, and Harry was almost certain that McGonagall was looking for the best way to phrase her thoughts. After a moment, the words began appearing again. _"That does not seem to be what occurred that night you left your relatives'. What happened between your wand and that of Lucius Malfoy was unexplainable and therefore unpredictable with another wand replacing it."_

" _Unpredictable, that is all I need right now."_ Harry had written it before he realized what he was doing. It was like letting words slip in a conversation with someone. _"Seems everything I am aiming to do falls into that category at the moment."_ Having just enough time to read what he had written before it vanished, he wished he hadn't. That was just enough to raise questions and concern. Whether it had or not, Harry didn't know, but he understood the response he got.

" _Our world is filled with uncertainty as of late. Nothing is as you knew it six years ago."_ Reading this, Harry realized McGonagall was right. When he had made his appearance into the wizarding world six years ago, everything had been new and exciting; people had nothing to fear. Now, fear seemed to be spreading like wildfire. _"Those we thought we could trust are the first to bring about our downfall. I am not certain if you have managed to keep up with the Daily Prophet, but you are considered a person of interest in the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Now that death eaters have overtaken the Ministry, they and any snatchers will stop at nothing to find you."_

" _I'll keep my head down."_ Hermione had mentioned something about snatchers the last time she had been out with Ron looking over Ministry entrances. From what she gathered, they were looking for anyone on the run or any muggle-born witches or wizards that had been placed on a watch list. Looking for a response, he didn't get one, and as Harry pulledthe marauders' map to him, he saw why; several small dots were entering the first floor classroom. Harry picked up his wand to seal the roll of parchment before putting it back in the mokeskin purse when his wand prodded the map. Instantly, the classroom expanded, and Harry could see a speech bubble appear near Minerva McGonagall's dot. Words filled it, and as he read them, he could remember her giving that exact speech in his fifth year. The class was tasked with turning porcupines into pincushions, and Harry remembered it took him a few times to get it right. He had managed to transfigure his porcupine into a brown pincushion just after Hermione had. Ron's still moved a bit with its four corners wiggling like little stubby legs. Leaving the map as it was, he placed the roll of parchment back into the mokeskin as well as his quill and took the map downstairs to wait on Ron and Hermione. They were due back any moment.

As if on cue, Harry heard the door open, Moody's voice, and Ron's declaration that he hadn't killed Dumbledore just as Harry had sat down in the kitchen. He had managed to watch as McGonagall lectured a student on not trying to transfigure a human into a pincushion when Hermione came into the room. Seeing him, she sat down in the chair nearest and looked down at the marauders' map.

"Harry, is that…"

"It is." Harry grinned. "I've been watching the lesson since I got done clearing out Sirius' room. I left Regulus' room alone for Kreacher, though." Motioning to the bag that Ron had dropped onto the table, Harry raised his eyebrows. "What's that you've got, Ron?"

"Dinner supplies." Sitting down in the chair opposite Harry, Ron looked over the map as well. "Hermione's idea; said we could get it so Kreacher didn't have to. Hold on…" Reading a speech bubble that had just appeared, he poured over the map to read it. "Oy, that one's got nerve."

"Probably a Slytherin from the way they're talking." Hermione muttered. "Harry, it's a good thing you weren't out with us today. We stayed under the cloak, but there are snatchers everywhere now-"

"I know. I've also heard I'm a person of interest in Dumbledore's death." Harry decided it best to reveal his source of information now rather than later. It would not do to have Ron and/or Hermione furious with him for it while they were meant to be hunting horcruxes. "Just got done talking with her about it."

"What?" Both Ron and Hermione looked as if someone had slapped them across the face; the former's jaw was working as if he wanted to say something, while the latter was simply staring at him. Hermione was first to speak; breaking the awkward silence.

"How did you do that? She wouldn't have been using the floo network. It's being watched."

"No. The floo's been monitored since Umbridge was at Hogwarts." Harry nodded in regard to Hermione's guess as he continued. "You'll remember I was talking with Professor McGonagall before Kingsley's patronus showed up? Well, before we parted ways, she handed me this." He pulled out the sealed roll of parchment. "She has its twin. Not sure who made it, but it works sort of like Riddle's diary did. I write something down on my end, it disappears, and she sees it on hers. Same way in reverse."

"Bet I know who made it." Ron said in a bitter tone. "Fred and George were experimenting with those during their seventh year. That's how they didn't get caught talking to one another in class." Looking directly at Harry, he frowned. "Didn't tell us you were in contact with the order, did you?"

"I'm really not." Harry had known this would happen. It was one of the reasons he hadn't said anything. "I'm talking to one person, not the Order."

"Didn't think to see if my family was alright?" Ron asked while Hermione looked between the two.

"I didn't ask because she wouldn't know." Harry managed to cut Ron off before he said anything else. "Hogwarts is isolated. Not only is Snape headmaster, but look at this." He tapped the map with his wand again and the viewpoint expanded. Looking for the Muggle Studies and Defense classrooms, Harry stopped on the latter. "See him? That's Amycus Carrow." He tapped the map again and narrowed the view the map gave. Carrow was pacing around the Defense classroom saying something about mudbloods. "He's one of the death eaters that got in through the vanishing cabinet last year. He and his sister are teaching at the school now. Death eaters are inside the walls, so I doubt anyone on our side really has a good way of getting information in or out of the castle."

"He's probably right, Ron." This was a logical conclusion, and Hermione knew it. Turning to the still slightly annoyed redhead, she spoke in a would-be soothing tone. "They know how to contact us if they really need to. I'm sure they're fine." This eased Ron's fears for his family's situation, and Harry understood Ron's anger. He was hoping the Weasleys, who had acted as a family when his own hadn't, were safe.

"After the wedding, all she knew was that everyone managed to get away; probably didn't find out about them all being safe until we did." Switching thee conversation back to his original topic, Harry tapped the map again to expand the view. "Anyway, I told her about Gregorovich, Ron."

"And?" Now, Ron looked hopeful. "Did she know anything about him?"

"Gregorovich was a wandmaker. He's apparently retired now." Harry was thankful he had already told Hermione about what he had witnessed with Ollivander a few weeks ago. Had he waited until now… Well, things wouldn't have been pleasant.

"Yes!" Her excited tone had both boys looking up. "Gregorovich was the one who made Viktor's wand. I remember him telling me at the wedding that he had one of Mykew Gregorovich's last wands. Why didn't I think of that before…"

"Don't feel bad." Harry muttered. "I should have remembered his name from the weighing of the wands before the first task of the Tri-wizard. Ollivander said Gregorovich was a very well-known wandmaker."

"So why d'you think he wanted Gregorovich, Harry?" Ron asked; prodding the map with his wand to get a good look at the Gryffindor common room. "Surely he doesn't want another wand."

"I think that's exactly what he wants." Harry said. "McGonagall said something that really got my attention. We were talking about how my wand did what it did on the way to the burrow," He ignored Ron and Hermione's looks. "And she said wands usurp each other for odd reasons. Sometimes it wasn't clear why. Then she said there were tales about a wand that was more powerful than any other."

"I've heard about that." Hermione volunteered, but Harry could see the skepticism in her face. "There have been loads of reports of something like that, but nothing concrete." Looking about the room for a moment, Hermione suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Harry, we've found a way into the ministry. We've also found people to impersonate with the polyjuice. Our best options are three Ministry workers: I'll be going as Mafalda Hopkirk, Ron as Reginald Cattermole, and you'll be disguised as Albert Runcorn. We can leave tomorrow."

"Mafalda Hopkirk…" Harry knew that name. "She's the one that sent those letters about underage magic. I got one once before second year because of the hover charm Dobby used to drop a pudding onto my uncle's dinner guests and another for the dementor attack before fifth year."

"Apparently she's a secretary that will be working with Umbridge off and on now." Hermione said. "Reginald Cattermole is a wizard who works for maintenance. He can get us where we need to go." She paused before continuing, "Not really sure what Runcorn does. He seems to be in good standing with Umbridge and the minister, Thicknesse."

"Right. So, when do we leave, then?" Harry asked. In truth, he was itching to get out of Grimmauld Place for a bit. They would no doubt return here after they got the locket, if they got it, but it would be good to get fresh air.

"We'll have to leave early in the morning to intercept the targets. Then we go in and hopefully get the locket and get out." Hermione said carefully. "I've got the polyjuice separated in three flasks, so we'll get them and go around 7:30 so that we can get to the entrance and wait for them."

"Just what we need as a morning pick-me-up." Ron feigned cheerfulness. "A lovely phial of polyjuice to start the day off right." Harry and Hermione had to laugh at this, but Harry's last comment before they started putting the food away was what would make it all the more worthwhile.

"Just think, we might get to stun Umbridge."


	5. Vengeful Escape

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Five: Vengeful Escape_

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early for the three who would soon be entering the Ministry under false pretenses. Since the plan was reviewed the day before, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had all prepared themselves. Their work attire would be some rather nice-looking robes that had been found and relieved of their years of collected dust. Hermione had done a charm that would freshen them up for good measure. Stowed in their pockets were the phials of polyjuice potion, and around Harry's neck was the mokeskin purse. He rarely took it off, save for sleeping. After a good morning's breakfast prepared by Kreacher, the three got under the invisibility cloak and stepped out onto the front step. The watchers who had been spying on the house for the past month were on the other side for the moment. With Ron and Harry gripping the cloak around them, they took Hermione's hands in their free ones and apparated to a place near the toilets where they would enter the ministry.

The street was deserted. Sun shone through milky clouds and cast odd shadows over the buildings. They had ended up in an alleyway that was blocked mostly from view, and it would be a good place to wait for their desired targets. The first one, Mafalda Hopkirk appeared moments later. She walked along the street nearest, and Hermione seized her chance. Stepping out from under the cloak, she pulled out her wand and muttered "Stupify!" under her breath. This left Mafalda to fall back and be caught by Ron, who had positioned himself just behind her. Getting back into the alleyway, Harry flicked his wand at the door nearest. When it unlocked and swung open, they were looking into a broken down storage facility. It was a small place, but no one had been in it for months. Hermione pulled out a few strands of Mafalda's hair and dropped them into the phial which changed to a purple color. Downing it quickly, she waited while the potion took effect. When she emerged, she was holding Mafalda's handbag and looking through it. Finding the woman's ID and a few coins that had MoM on them, she replaced the handbag with Mafalda's stunned form.

"Right." She said in a crisp tone. Her voice had obviously changed to that of Mafalda's. "Now we just need… Ah, there's yours, Ron." Hermione pointed to a man who had just appeared a good distance away. "He looks peaky. It will give me an excuse to use this." She withdrew from her robes a small orange chew. Harry recognized it immediately as half of a Puking Pastille.

"Poor bloke." Ron muttered as Hermione headed off to meet the newly arrived Reg Cattermole. "Won't know what hit him, eh?"

"Morning, Mafalda." Reginald Cattermole greeted in a tired voice. "Here early I see."

"Yes." Hermione said as she went to walk alongside the man. "Not in your work robes?"

"No." Reg looked uncomfortable. "They told me I didn't need to be here today, but I had to come."

"You look ill."

"I don't feel the greatest, but I had to come." Clutching a mug of what was presumed coffee, Reg didn't notice Hermione slip the chew into it until he swallowed it. Luckily that was his last drink. He immediately began to heave, and within seconds, was vomiting. Hermione stepped back out of the way while putting a comforting hand on the man's shoulder.

"You should go home or see someone. Surely, whatever matter is bothering you can wait-"

"N-no!" Reg managed between retching. "I mu-must go!"

"You can barely stand, much less walk." Hermione reasoned. "You should find a doctor." Reg couldn't speak for several minutes due to violently vomiting and dry heaving. Only when he nearly collapsed did he finally agree; which he had to do by nodding jerkily. While Hermione helped him to a standing position so that he could disapparate, she pulled a few of his hairs from the back of his robes and checked them against his natural hair before letting him go. She slipped the purple half of the chew into his pocket before he disappeared around the corner; clinging to the wall for support. Only when he had gone did she vanish the vomit in front of a few witches who had arrived and explained the situation to them. Once done, she walked around the corner and handed the hairs to Ron, who dropped them into his potion and drained it.

Harry's target didn't' take long to appear either. After Ron had pocketed the phial again and taken the coin, they both saw a man appear not far from where Reg had disapparated. Tall, thin, and older looking, he started toward the underground toilet before Hermione muttered in Harry's ear that that was Albert Runcorn. While still under the invisibility cloak, Harry moved out and waited until Albert was at the head of their alleyway before he stunned him and modified his memory for good measure. Pulling out a few black hairs, Harry added them to his potion and swallowed. While he began to change, Ron and Hermione moved the real Runcorn into a building opposite of Mafalda and shut the door.

"Are you ready then, Cattermole?" Harry heard Hermione say. At Ron's nod, she addressed Harry. "Are you?"

"Yeah." Harry said in a much lower voice than his own. "Let's get this over with."

"Right." Hermione handed him a coin, and the three headed for the underground toilets. Once downstairs, they separated. Hermione went right while Ron and Harry went left. Joining the short queue, the two men stepped into stalls after only a few moments, and Ron looked over the side of his at Harry. He mouthed that they had to apparently flush themselves in, and Harry suppressed the urge to make a face. Hearing a knock on the door behind im, Harry stepped into the toilet, but did not feel his shoes or socks get soaked. When he pulled the chain, he distinctly heard Ron do the same, and they were sent spinning down through a pipe and came out of the gilded fireplaces.

Meeting Hermione, they walked through the atrium, and she muttered something under her breath to Harry. It seemed that Mafalda and Reg didn't care much for Runcorn, and they should act as if they were displeased to be near him; likewise, Albert didn't care much for the other two. They settled for acting mutually indifferent as they approached the place where the golden fountain had been. Harry found it horrible that it had been replaced by a statue of a witch and wizard sitting on what looked to be thrones; only those thrones were made of piles of… dare he think, muggles.

"Disgusting every time I see it…" One wizard muttered as he walked past. "I'm sure you find it hard to look at, eh Reg?" When Ron didn't reply, Harry managed an almost annoyed tone.

"He's talking to you, Cattermole. Suggest you answer."

"Oh right…" Ron said reluctantly. "Yeah, can't imagine who would want to look at something like that."

"I can." The wizard who had joined them muttered to Hermione. "People like 'im that are in charge."

They all proceeded to the lifts that would take them further into the ministry, and Harry had to wonder when they would run into Dolores Umbridge. He knew where the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office was, having ben there before with Mr. Weasley. That was on level two. That didn't mean that Umbridge was there. As the grilles slid shut, the lift clattered up a few levels, letting the wizard that had joined them out. The next level they stopped at was Ron's stop. He had been confronted by Yaxley, another death eater, in the atrium while Hermione had talked with the other wizard about the throne-like structure. Yaxley had said that it was raining in his office, and that Cattermole had best get it stopped. They had also found out why Reg had been so adamant to get into the Ministry that morning; his wife, Mary Elizabeth Cattermole was being questioned that day in regard to being a possible "wand-stealer". Hermione had hastily told Ron that he should try "Finite Incantatem" to stop the rain in Yaxley's office.

When Ron got out of the lift, he was met by Arthur Weasley. Hermione discretely tugged on his robes to keep him from looking too happy to see his father, and Ron settled for a greeting of "Morning, Arthur."

"Good morning, Reg. What are you doing on this level?"

"Raining in Yaxley's office." Ron said quickly, and Arthur actually half smiled. "Wants me to stop it."

"Yes, I'd say it's been raining in many offices as of late. Don't really know why, but I can't complain. I'm still dry." As he headed for another lift, Arthur spotted Harry. "Ah. Runcorn, I'd like a word." As Ron left the lifts, Arthur stepped into the one he had just vacated and waited until the grilles had closed before turning on Harry. "I know that you revealed Dirk Cresswell's background, and I must say that was pretty low. If you're looking for a leg up around here, you might just get yourself into more trouble than is worth."

"What are you on about?" Harry growled, but they didn't have much time to talk. Next floor, Arthur was getting out, shooting one last comment at Harry.

"You know very well what I mean. He was a good man."

The lift moved on up, leaving Harry and Hermione to look at each other. Both were thinking that it was good to see Mr. Weasley, and that it was too bad they could not reveal themselves to him; then again, it would have made him and the rest worry. When they reached level two, they were face to face with Pius Thicknesse, the Minister of Magic. He greeted Harry as if they knew each other on friendly terms, but Harry didn't notice it all that much. He merely nodded mutely and shook the man's hand. His real point of interest was the squat toad-like witch that had just emerged from an office on the other end of the corridor. Her pink robes were only made slightly better by the black bow in her mousy hair. It was a welcome change compared to the usual pink. Dolores Umbridge came striding up the way and stopped by the minister; addressing him in her usual girly sweet voice.

"Ah, Minister, I was just headed down to the courtrooms. Busy morning, I suspect."

"Very much so." Pius looked to be just passing, rather than getting into the lift with her. Immediately, he nodded to Harry and Hermione and walked on to an office nearby. "Good day, Dolores, Albert."

"Mafalda, I assume Travers sent you?" Umbridge addressed Hermione in a cheerful tone. "Good. Shall we get started then?" She got into the lift, and Harry did his best to stay as far away as possible, but she addressed him next. "Albert, weren't you getting out?"

Harry got out of the lift and snuck a look back at Hermione as the grilles slid back and the lift headed back down. He could see the panic and frustration in her expression, but it turned to a stony one when Dolores addressed her again. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't hear the conversation and settled for walking toward Umbridge's office. He received a slight shock when he saw an electric blue eye looking back at him from a brass hole in the door.

Crossing the corridor, Harry took one look around. There were several witches and wizards sitting at tables like an assembly line; they were working on pamphlets that advertised the Ministry's newest laws and programs. One that fell on the floor was describing the "Muggle Registration Committee" that was chaired by Dolores Umbridge and Yaxley. Harry, needing a means of entering the office discretely, fished in his pocket and found one of the decoy detonators that Fred and George had given him; along with a pellet that released Peruvian instant darkness powder. Keeping the latter for later, he dropped the detonator as he walked past and waited. When it went off, it caused people to scream and leaflets and pamphlets to go everywhere. In the confusion, Harry darted into Umbridge's rather pink and girly office. He realized that it was Moody's eye that was attached to a short range looking glass so that Umbridge could spy on those outside. Plucking the eye from the door, Harry pocketed it and looked around as he closed the door. He wondered just why Umbridge had his eye, but then he heard people talking outside. Umbridge had apparently acquired the eye after everyone thought Alastor Moody was dead. Moody had since used a backup eye while he was at Grimmauld Place, but Harry kept it all the same.

There was nothing in particular in the office that was of use. He saw several of Umbridge's kitten plates on the walls and even a copy of _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ by Rita Skeeter. He had heard about this book due to the conversation between Professor McGonagall, Elphias Doge, and Ron's great aunt, Muriel. Rummaging through the desk, Harry found nothing but pink parchment, quills, and a few pots of deep violet ink. He finally settled for striding out into the corridor again, and found the minister calming people down outside. They had found the decoy, or what was left of it, and he had tossed it into a rubbish bin.

Harry used this chance to go and find Hermione again. He entered a lift full of small purple memos and went down toward the courtrooms where Umbridge had been heading with who she thought to be Mafalda. He encountered a sopping wet Ron a few floors down, and Harry was thankful to remember a drying charm that Dumbledore had used on him once. They managed to get to the lower levels, and when they reached the corridor that led to the department of Mysteries, Harry took one look and went the way he and Mr. Weasley had on the day of his underage magic hearing. Down that way, they found dementors and several scared muggle-borns. After reaching the courtroom, Harry heard Umbridge's voice. She was questioning a Mary Elizabeth Cattermole; Reg's wife. As Umbridge questioned where Mary had gotten her wand, the scared woman spotted Ron standing in the doorway.

"Reg?" She asked in a shaking voice. "Reg, tell them… Tell them I'm a witch…" Ron had frozen on the spot, and Harry had to give him a rough push into the room, where he stood by his "wife" who sat in the chair with the chains. They had sprang up and encircled her arms; binding her. Ron and Harry looked up, once Umbridge had started questioning her again. The woman was sitting where Fudge had when Harry was here and Yaxley sat to her left while Hermione sat to Umbridge's right. By Umbridge's podium sat a silvery Persian cat patronus. He knew it was here to ward off the dementors' effects as they stood in dark corners of the room. As he turned his head however, Harry saw a flash of gold Turning back, he spotted the locket that hung from Umbridge's neck.

Motioning to it discretely, he got Ron to spot it too, but he made a horrible discovery. He could see the scars slowly appearing on his hand again. That meant that the polyjuice was wearing off. Had it been a weak dose or had they not drank enough of it? Harry didn't know. What he did know was that they had seconds to act. Shooting a look at Hermione, he knew she had realized it as well. Umbridge didn't seem to notice.

"Thank you, Albert." She said sweetly as Harry gave Ron another nudge to talk or do something. Really, it was to speed things along. Ron had his hand on his wand when Umbridge spoke again. "Mary Elizabeth Cattermole, you are being charged with taking a wand that belonged to a witch or wizard. I find no evidence to prove that you are indeed a witch and so I must insist that you be taken away for further questioning. Yaxley, if you would send in the dementors and have the next one produced for questioning."

"Actually, Dolores, I think they will have a spot of trouble." Harry said in Runcorn's deep voice as he felt his insides reverting to their natural feel. He kept his head down slightly so that she could not see his face.

"And what might that be, Albert?" She asked. "Surely you don't mean something has happened outside."

"No." Harry's voice had returned to normal as he raised his head. "The problem is that you've been had, you great toad." At that second, Ron and Hermione had cast patronus charms to keep the dementors away, and Hermione had used Yaxley's moment of surprise to send his wand flying and bind him to the chair. Umbridge shrieked in response.

"Potter! Get him! GET HIM!-"

"Confringo!" Harry blasted her out of her chair and she slammed against the high wall behind her. As she drifted out of consciousness, he stood over her and took the locket from her neck. "You know who that was for, you coward." Pocketing the locket, Harry waited while Ron and Hermione released Mary Cattermole. "Couldn't face her in a fair fight in broad daylight so you have four Ministry wizards attack in the dark… Very brave of you."

"Harry, let's go!" Hermione called. Umbridge had already lost consciousness, so Harry dropped down from where she had been sitting and ran out after the others. He cast his patronus as well to keep the swarming dementors off of the muggle-borns that Hermione had urged to move.

When they reached the lifts, they all piled into one and took it to the atrium, where they faced a stunned crowd of new arrivals. Most stopped and pointed, but a few of those loyal to Voldemort attacked. Hary and the others pushed the muggle-borns forward and got them sprinting up the atrium first while they darted under the invisibility cloak in the confusion. They made it half way up the atrium before Yaxley came out of a lift bellowing that they all needed to be stopped. Most of the escapees were vanishing beyond the gilded fireplaces now, and when Harry, Ron, and Hermione shot impediment jinxes at Yaxley and the other Ministry or Voldemort supporters, Ron urged Mrs. Cattermole to leave; to find Reg, who would either be at home or St. Mungo's, and to get the kids and get out of the country.

They took the floo out to the street and met the real Reg in the toilets. Ron didn't explain why Mary was so confused; he just said "Nice to have met you" and sprinted off after Harry up the stairs and they met Hermione on the main street. "Hermione, we've got to get out of here now. Yaxley's coming!"

"Right, let's go!" She, Ron, and Harry threw on the cloak again; Harry having stowed it in his robes when they had used the floo. Turning on the spot, they all thought of Grimmauld Place and felt as if they were being pulled through a high-capacity rubber tube. They heard shouting behind them before darkness overtook them, but it was drowned out when the tube-like feeling opened up and deposited them onto 12's doorstep. Wrenching open the door, Hermione got the others in, shut, and bolted it. After going through the confrontation of Dumbledore's dusty ghost, they entered the kitchen, where there was a bowl of fruit on the table. Harry stuffed the cloak back into his robes and sat down hard on the chair; his heart still hammering in his chest. Hermione and Ron took chairs opposite him.

"That was close!" Ron exclaimed as he took an apple from the bowl and gripped it tightly in his hands. "Lucky we got out of there when we did otherwise, Yaxley might have tried to come with us."

"I thought of that when we first got out on the street." Hermione said this with a definite air of relief. "What I don't understand is why that potion wore off so quickly. We could have easily been caught if that had worn off any sooner."

"Maybe not enough potion…" Harry muttered as he removed the locket from his pocket. "Either way, we've got this and now we can move on to try and destroy it."

"Nice work on knocking Toadface out, mate." Ron grinned despite the situation. "It was worth the risk seeing the look on her face."

"Problem is that I'm sure by this time tomorrow, Britain will have seen it by now. I saw someone take a picture as it happened. I assumed there was a cameraman in there somewhere…" Hermione frowned again. "That will put an even bigger price on our heads…"

"Seeing as V-"

"Don't!" Shouted Ron. He was just in time to stop Harry from saying the name. "Heard from someone in the Ministry that there's a taboo on it. If you say the name, the death eaters will know where you are and come right to you."

"That must have been how Dolohov and Raul found us before…" Hermione mused.

"Right." Harry said "Well, seeing as… You Know Who wants to kill me already, having a higher price won't really much matter, Hermione." He took a pear from the bowl and used a severing charm to skin it before he bit into it. "Anyway, we'll need to find a way to destroy this."

"The sword would be ideal, but the problem will be finding it." Hermione said as she looked over Slytherin's locket. She touched it and shrank back instantly. "It's cold..."

"I noticed that when I took it off of Umbridge." Harry said as Hermione passed the locket to Ron. "Felt good to knock her out, honestly."

"Hope those people got out alright; Cattermoles, I mean." Harry and Hermione nodded.

The next few days were spent researching ways of destroying the horcrux. Hermione had already ruled out Fiend fire as one method, and the sword was missing. Basilisk fangs were completely out of the question due to the skull still being at Hogwarts. This left Harry, Hermione, and Ron more frustrated than ever. Still, it was good to at least have the real horcrux, rather than Harry looking at the fake one that Regulus had managed to place in the basin in the cave. Harry wore it around his neck during the day so as not to misplace it, but at night he would take it off to sleep.

On the fourth day, Hermione came back from a run to a local store with a copy of the Prophet in her hand. Sure enough, there was an image on the front page of Harry casting a spell at Dolores Umbridge. The headline above read: "Undesirable #1 Escapes After Nearly Killing Ministry Officials" When she passed the paper on to him, Harry read the article. It didn't mention anything about Ron or Hermione, but it did quote Dolores Umbridge saying that he was a "Madman" and a "Thief". Harry snorted when he read the last bit.

"The locket was never hers. Wasn't some prised family heirloom."

"No." Hermione said as she tapped Harry's tea kettle with her wand to brew a fresh pot. "It just means that there will be more snatchers looking for you when we do get out of here and start looking for the other horcruxes."

"Ron still listening to the wireless?" Over the last days, Ron had taken to sitting in the drawing room off and on and listening to the wizarding wireless that he had repaired. Every day, there were new names to add to the growing list of dead or missing.

"Yes." If they strained, they could hear the names being rattled off from there. The two were in the kitchen, but the door was open and so was the one to the drawing room. "It comforts him to know his family isn't on that list, I think."

"Sets my teeth on edge." Harry muttered as he took a scone from the breakfast leftovers. Though cold, it was still soft and sweet. "I mean, I know why he does it, but let's face it… All of the dead aren't on that list. Those are just the ones they find." He hated his pessimistic view, but it was the truth. "They still haven't found Professor Charity Burbage yet, have they?"

"She was the Muggle Studies teacher." Hermione shook her head in the negative in regard to Harry's question. "It's awful to think that they might have gotten her."

"They did." Harry reflected on the flashes of what he had seen. She had been floating above a table and a crowd of death eaters had been laughing at her. Voldemort had used the killing curse and the snake had lunged at her body. "She's dead. He got her earlier this summer when people thought she had resigned."

"How do you-" Hermione was cut off by Harry pointing at his scar in annoyance.

"How do you think I know a lot of what goes on with him?" he asked as they heard the wireless in the other room turn off. "Before you start, Hermione, I can't always block it out. I can't shut him out when I'm asleep."

"That's why Dumbledore wanted you to learn occlumency, Harry!" Hermione's frustrated remark had Harry gritting his teeth for a moment before speaking.

"Dumbledore…" Harry turned to the fireplace. "Dumbledore, the one that put me through the Tri-wizard, ignored me throughout my entire fifth year, and then wanted me to learn how to close my mind from a professor that hates me! You know, I'm starting to see why people think he was dodgy!"

"Harry, you don't mean that-"

"Really? Never mind all that. He says he's got a task for me to do before I can kill… You Know Who… and then he gives me no other idea on where to go from here!" Harry raged as he turned back to Hermione. "What happened to the man who had all the answers, Hermione-"

"Take it off." Hermione had gotten over her minute shock as Ron had re-entered the kitchen. "Harry, take the horcrux off. Now!" Harry finally reached up and removed the locket from around his neck. Instantly, he felt as if a hot breath had passed through him. His anger dissipated, tension melted away, and the burden that had felt as if it weighed as much as Grawp seemed to be lightened immensely. When he looked up, he saw Hermione wore an understanding expression. "Better?"

"Loads." Moving to apologize, Hermione waved him off.

"We'll take turns from now on, okay?" She took the locket from his still open palm and placed it around her own neck. "We'll get it done."

"You're right, Hermione." Harry conceded. "Been on edge since I started wearing that thing. I feel like we'll never accomplish anything when I'm wearing it."

"That's probably how he wants you to feel, mate." Ron said, offering Harry a smile. "I mean… If he didn't put doubts in your mind then he wouldn't have much of a chance. He's trying to get you to quit, I think."

"Sounds fair enough…" Harry said as he went back to eating his scone. "If I were him, I wouldn't want anyone to succeed in destroying his chances at immortality, would I?"

"That reminds me…" Hermione sat down again and looked over a piece of parchment she had been keeping notes on. "We know what three of the horcruxes are. What were the others again?"

"There was the ring, the diary, and this locket…" Harry ticked off his fingers. "Hufflepuff's chalice… I dunno what the others are." He admitted. "Dumbledore and I thought the last might be his snake, Nagini, but we were never sure."

"How do you seal a piece of your soul into a living thing?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't know and didn't feel like reading about it. It's awful thinking of killing someone and splitting your soul… It's bad enough that he did it once."

"Dumbledore thought that the other horcrux might be something that belonged to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Seems more likely that it would be Ravenclaw, though; Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't exactly get along at all, did they?" Harry said. "I don't know enough about Rowena Ravenclaw to have a fair chance of guessing."

"How is it you knew of the locket and Hufflepuff's chalice, then?" Ron and Hermione had never really questioned how he and Dumbledore had known; they had just accepted the thought as truth. Harry decided that it was time he share what had happened in Dumbledore's office when he would dive into memories. He explained the one from Hokey, Hepsibah Smith's house elf; told them of how Tom Riddle, then a courier and buyer from Borgin and Burke's, had looked at the objects with longing and how they mysteriously vanished when Smith was found dead.

"They blamed the house elf?" Hermione asked angrily. "An elf that had been loyal all those years?"

"Happens." Harry said. "Look at Winky, Hermione. Crouch just accepted that she had cast the dark mark of her own accord."

"Still, it's awful."

"Yeah." Harry agreed, and then he stood up slowly. "I think I'm going to try and get some proper sleep while you're wearing that, Hermione." Seeing the two nod in understanding, he headed for the stairs. Here it was; half one in the afternoon, and he was ready for a long nap. Truth be told, Harry hadn't slept well at all with that locket on. As he climbed the topmost stairs, he felt as if his legs were turned into bricks of lead when he finally managed to push the bedroom door open.

When he crossed the room, he pulled back the scarlet curtains but left the sheer ones drawn; this cast a milky light throughout Sirius' room, and Harry found that he could sleep easier like this rather than in total darkness. Free of the locket, he would hopefully have no dreams at all or at least a minimal of vaguely related ones to the war. The horcrux' influence was very noticeable if he slept with it on. Satisfied, Harry crossed to the bed and flopped down onto the bed; removing his shoes as he went. He had no reason to change into anything more comfortable, but he did remove his wand and glasses so that they had less of a chance of being broken. Only then did he lie back and let sleep take him.


	6. A Visitor, A Warning, and A Departure

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Six: A Visitor, A Warning, and A Departure_

 **A/N:** Normally, I won't point out much in author's notes for this fic. I will let the chapters do most of the talking. There is one thing though that I thought I would mention: I did reference something from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" video game for PC and various consoles in this chapter. We'll see who knows it :)

* * *

His dreams, while very vague, didn't disturb him. Every now and again, he could hear the manic laughter of Voldemort or even the distant screams of some unknown captive. Everything was a muffled blur, to where there were no specific details about anything. Only when there was a flash of green light and the sound of metal screeching against glass did he wake quickly. The sound was still ringing in his ears when he sat up and pulled his glasses toward him.

Candles were lit in the chandelier above, and he could smell dinner being prepared downstairs. Clearly he had slept throughout the rest of the afternoon. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, Harry got up and went to the window. The street lamps outside were just coming on to cast the square in a soft orange light, but they were drowned out by the hazy blue of the misting rain hanging on to the last hours of daylight. He chanced a look out of the window by pulling back the sheer curtains, and he saw the two cloaked figures still standing around just near number 14's stoop. Both of them seemed distracted; one searched the moist ground, while the other's eyes roved the misting skies. It seemed the latter found something a bit more interesting than the former, though. His eyes were following something, and when Harry followed his gaze, he had to squint to see it. A hawk with a silver-flecked feathered crest had just entered the square and circled the two hooded men. It made a graceful ark high above them and then went into a steep dive toward them again. This caused one of the men to pull out his wand. Harry hoped the bird would evade any spell the man sent toward it, but that wasn't necessary. As the hawk neared the ground, a few things happened: A jet of red light came from the one man's wand, the other swore when it missed, and the hawk transformed into a very familiar looking witch.

Her black robes were tattered and frayed in places while the white-collared shirt she wore beneath them was no longer crisp and buttoned to her neck. Silver flyaway hair was waving like mad in the wind as she plunged her hand into her robes for a wand. Once drawn the two watchers moved forward; sending curses left and right after they had gotten over the initial shock of the witch's sudden appearance. She however, used a powerful impediment jinx to knock them clean off their feet and then made a mad swipe with her wand as if cutting the air with a knife. This reminded Harry of Snape's "Sectumsempra" spell. He could see blood seeping through their hands as the two men clutched at their chests. Yellow eyes narrowed in concentration, the witch shot two stunning spells in succession at the two howling men and immediately their bodies fell limp. She stood over them and muttered something Harry could not work out, but he did recognize the memory modification spell she used afterwards. Satisfied that they wouldn't remember a thing, she added insult to injury by transfiguring the two into a hedgehog and squirrel respectively before replacing her wand and looking up toward the door to Number 12.

Moving from the window, Harry headed for the door and wrenched it open. When he reached the end of the landing, he could just hear the front door bang open and Alastor Moody's voice. This drew the attention of Ron and Hermione, who had been in the drawing room downatairs. Harry made it to the second floor landing when he saw them poking their heads out, and Harry could swear he saw the tip of Hermione's wand poking out just past the doorframe. Moving further down the stairs, Harry saw the dusty figure of Dumbledore form and rush toward the entrance hall. The voice he heard confirmed his suspicions on who this woman was.

"I did not raise my wand against you, Albus." With that, the dust cloud settled and Harry could just see the woman step past the entrance hall. She had her wand out again and seemed to be casting a drying charm over her robes and hair. Her eyes roved the ground floor quickly, as she did this, but they settled on Harry when moving up the staircase. "Ah Potter, I had hoped you lot would still be here." Considering him for a moment, she added: "Just for security reasons, in your first year after you proved yourself a more than capable flyer, I asked you to assist in catching Hagrid's flutterby moths that had gotten loose in the courtyard. You will notice that I didn't assist; that was just to evaluate your broomstick control for myself, seeing as I missed your capture of Longbottom's rememberall."

"Madam Hooch…" Harry had never expected to see the flying instructor and quidditch referee again. He had assumed she was still at Hogwarts. "What are you doing here?"

"Not that we're not thrilled to see you." Ron corrected as he and Hermione came down behind Harry. "Thought you'd still be at Hogwarts."

"Been on the run since the end of September, I'm afraid." Rolanda, who had shaken her hair out of her eyes, flicked her wand and straightened her robes. "I can only hope the other staff members are fairing better than I did."

"Why were you on the run?" Hermione asked as she led the way down into the kitchen. Harry's assumption that Kreacher was making dinner was proven correct wit the opening of the door. It seemed the house elf was working on a few things that night; steak and kidney pie, roasted potatoes, and a treacle tart to top it all off.

"Let's just say I disagreed with a few of our newest staff members." Hooch said as she sat down at the table near Harry while Ron and Hermione took chairs opposite.

"You mean the Carrows, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Bloody well right I do." The flying instructor, normally a cheerfully impatient woman on the pitch, spoke more venomously now. "Their idea of a good time was setting first years' brooms on fire as they were taking their first lessons." Seeing Ron and Hermione's horrified expressions, she went on. "I trust by now, you know who they are."

"Amycus and Alecto Carrow were two of the death eaters that were on the astronomy tower the night Dumbledore was killed." Harry clarified. He thought he had told them this, but apparently not. "Them, Fenrir Greyback, Snape, Bellatrix, and Draco."

"Right." Rolanda nodded as she spoke again. "They're teaching Defense against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies respectfully now."

"I can only imagine the sort of defense they're teaching." Hermione scoffed as she rose to assist Kreacher with the dinner plates. The elf had objected the first time, but then he seemed to accept the help with more and more gratitude each time.

"Rumor has it that Amycus' first real lesson in "defense" was to cast the imperius curse on unsuspecting students and force them to hurt their closest friends." Rolanda muttered. "Alecto's Muggle Studies classes are more like Muggle Bashing. She is teaching that their deaths will better glorify the witch or wizard that commits the murder."

"What do the parents say about this?" Ron couldn't believe such things would happen at Hogwarts.

"They don't have much of a choice, do they? If they question the "Professors'" teaching policies, they tend to disappear." Rolanda said sadly. "Susan Bones' aunt, Amelia, disappeared as soon as the ministry was compromised. She used to be the head of magical law enforcement, but now… well…"

"Yaxley is in charge of that now." Harry said. "We ran into him at the ministry."

"Heard about that." The flying instructor's yellow eyes focused on Harry again. "Went there to attack Dolores Umbridge and steal her prised possession, eh?" Harry's expression must have shown more than he intended because she explained. "Ran into Alastor two days ago; posing as a homeless outside St. Mungo's. I read the story in the Prophet this morning. Looked like an artifact of Slytherin's."

"It is." Ron said as he removed the locket from his neck. Passing it across the table, he watched as Madam Hooch ran a few fingers over it carefully. It didn't last long; as soon as her hand touched it, she withdrew it.

"You'll need something powerful to destroy that."

"I take it by that you know what it is." Harry said gravely. "What I don't get is how."

"Family dealt with the dark arts." She said absently; eyes now fixed on Slytherin's locket. "I was one of the first to not be sorted into Slytherin. Mother was a Hufflepuff and I was a Ravenclaw. There were stories about wizards trying to create these things to keep themselves from being killed, but I never thought I'd actually come across one."

"We've got a means of destroying it, or we will once we actually find it." Harry admitted.

"I assume that is what you're really after; It's why you didn't return to school and why you're here."

"Yeah, which reminds me," Harry passed the horcrux back to Ron, who put it back on. "How did you know we'd be here?"

"I heard from your source within Hogwarts." At the three mildly stunned expressions, Rolanda elaborated. "There were members of the Order at Bill Weasley's wedding; some were there in person, and others… well," She transformed into the silver-flecked hawk again and back. "Others were keeping an eye in other ways. I saw you and Minerva talking."

"You saw the parchment, didn't you?" Harry already knew the answer.

"I did. One of Fred and George's more brilliant ideas. We've adapted them for covert communication between select order members; as well as the bewitched galleons that you lot used to plot secret meetings in your fifth year." Hooch addressed Hermione with that comment,. "Well done, Granger."

"It was one way to get meetings planned under Umbridge's nose."

"Minerva was keeping an eye on you, Potter. That was her main reason for being there. Pomona Sprout and I were there as animals keeping an eye on the guests. After the attack during your transport, it was assumed that someone would have been at the wedding, but thankfully that wasn't the case."

"So, how was it at Hogwarts before you left, aside from the Carrows?" Ron asked as he assisted Hermione in passing around plates full of food that Kreacher had prepared. "How are the teachers handling it?"

"Sprout has already threatened to release a hoard of mandrakes and venomous tentacula on any death eater who raises their wand to her students. They've taken over Hogsmeade as well." Rolanda added. "Flitwick is opposing them but he's not being too vocal about it. Slughorn is just keeping his head down."

"Slughorn is still there, then?" Harry asked. "I didn't think that he would have stayed after Dumbledore was killed. He only really signed on for the job because Dumbledore asked."

"Yes well, he's not the bravest one, is he?" Ron snorted at this due to the thought of all of the arguments they had over the "Slug Club" and Slughorn's parties. "As for your head of house… Well, you all know how she deals with people who shouldn't have the power they do."

"Wouldn't be a good thing if she got taken down by them like when Umbridge ordered those Ministry officials on her in fifth year."

"Ah yes, I also saw that you paid her back in kind for that. Well done." Madam Hooch paused as Hermione and Kreacher were moving the last of the plates to the table. "Bloody hell… Outdone yourself, haven't you?" She addressed Kreacher.

"Kreacher hopes it pleases Master and his company." The elf said, making a bow to them all.

"You've done very well, Kreacher, thank you." Harry said as he motioned for them all to eat. "You don't have to go back to the boiler to eat, either. You can stay here, if you'd like."

As they had dinner that night, the four spoke of the progressive takeover. Voldemort's return to power had sparked a massive breakout from Azkaban. Any death eaters that had been locked away while Scrimgeour was in power had been released. Muggle-borns were still being pulled off of the streets and questioned or even locked away and tortured. On the up side, eeves was giing the Carrows hell and Snape had not agreed to banish him from the castle's grounds. Hagrid had gone on the run, however. By the end of the evening however, it was time for Madam Hooch to move on. She rose from her place and pocketed her wand, but before she headed for the door, she turned again to Harry and the others.

"I'll advise you on this: You'll need to move on from here. Those watchers out there were death eaters. They knew you were here, but they had no idea where or how to find you. They'll spend the rest of the month trying to figure out how to tell someone that they are not, in fact, rodents, but eventually they'll find some means of communication."

"Where do you suppose we should go?" Ron asked.

"Anywhere but here, Weasley." She replied. "I would suggest looking for that sword that disappeared from Albus' office."

"How did you-" Hermione was answered by a wicked grin.

"Well, the sword disappeared from his office before Severus became headmaster. I assume it was so that he couldn't get his greasy hands all over it. I'm sure that You Know Who knows very well what it can be used for. Legend has it that you killed a basilisk with it." Before Harry could say anything, he was silenced as a silvery patronus in the form of a tabby came through the fireplace. When it leapt gracefully onto the table, Harry noticed the square markings around its eyes. He wasn't the only one who knew to whom this patronus belonged. When it spoke, the voice carried quite easily throughout the kitchen.

"They have summoned him; he is aware of your location. I will attempt to delay him, but you must flee as soon as possible. Do not return here."

"Where do we go?" Ron asked again as the last traces of Minerva McGonagall's voice faded from the room.

"Anywhere but here." Madam Hooch had started up the stairs with the others on her heels. "Gather anything you'll be needing from here and leave as soon as possible. I had a feeling that they had summoned him. It's why I attacked them." She pulled an old traveling cloak down from a collection hanging on the wall. "Be quick. Do not leave anything that could give them the slightest clue as to where you've gone or what you're doing." She looked directly at them as she finished her thought. "Keep that blasted thing safe but beware: It will effect you if you wear it too long. I'll wait here until you're ready. No sense in causing a stir and alerting anyone who may be here to your presence."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione swept through the house and collected everything they had brought and anything they might need. The drawing room, Sirius' room, and the bedroom on the second floor were the mainly occupied parts of the house, while there were a few things in the kitchen. Harry packed everything into his rucksack while Hermione threw things into her magically expanded handbag. Ron had collected everything they would need from the kitchen and was handing it off to whoever needed it. Only when they had gotten everything squared away and taken a few sets of robes from the closets, the ones that Hermione and Kreacher had cleaned anyway, did they head back downstairs where Madam Hooch and Kreacher stood waiting.

"Are you ready, then?" The former asked as she readied her wand. When the three looked to one another and nodded, she went on. "Right. If there are any of them out there, disapparate and don't look back. I don't care if they all come swarming. Do not look back."

"Kreacher," Harry said, looking down at the elf. "I want you to go to Hogwarts. Keep yourself safe. Take Hedwig with you. Get her to McGonagall's office. She'll know why."

"Yes, Master." Kreacher bowed before disapparating.

"Right, then." Rolanda readied herself and had her wand pointed at the door. When she pulled it open, Harry, Ron, and Hermione darted beneath the invisibility cloak. When she emerged, jets of red and green light started flying in the air around her. In the midst of the shouting, Harry heard her voice. "Go! Now!"

Hermione's hand clamped down on both Ron and Harry's arms and the scene around them faded into an inky blackness. Harry experienced that same compressed feeling as if he were in a rubber tube. He felt as if he were doing the right thing by sending his owl with Kreacher due to the fact that she wouldn't be able to fly openly while they were on the run. As soon as it had started, the feeling went away, and Harry found himself face up in a forest. The snapping of twigs around him told Harry that Ron and Hermione were starting to get up. When he sat up fully, he heard Hermione muttering protective charms that she had practiced so that they would not be seen, heard, or detected in any other obvious way. Once she was done, Hermione returned and looked through her bag while Harry straightened his glasses.

"Hermione, where exactly are we?" He asked as she pulled a few rather large things from her bag.

"We're off the beaten path. It's a forest trail my parents and I hiked several years ago. This was a place I got lost in once."

"What's all this then?" Ron asked as he looked through the pile of what looked to be rubbish that Hermione had taken from her bag. "Just going to kip under that, are we?"

"Yes, actually." Hermione said as she turned back. Flicking her wand, the pile of cloth erected itself into a very familiar tent. "It was the one Perkins leant Mr. Weasley for the World Cup three years ago. He never said he wanted it back, so Mr. Weasley kept it and leant it to me. He said he knew we'd need it."

The three entered the tent and had gotten everything situated before midnight. Hermione revealed the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black that she had taken down from her and Ron's bedroom. It would not do to have him there and let one of the death eaters know they had just been warned and by whom. When she explained this, Harry had a sudden idea. He sat down on his bed and looked through his mokeskin for the parchment he had kept in there. Removing it, he pulled out the same quill he had used before and was prepared to scribble a message on it, but he saw words already there.

" _Managed to divert him to Hogsmeade."_

" _Got away in time. Madam Hooch was there to keep them at bay while we disapparated. We are safe."_ Harry wrote this but didn't feel safe at all. They were out in the open. The only good thing about Number 12 was that death eaters couldn't get in there because they did not know how.

" _Until this war has ended, no one is safe."_ It was a simple and very powerful statement to Harry. As he read it, he knew McGonagall was right. _"Your owl just arrived. It was wise to send her here. She is too easily noticed otherwise."_

" _What did you do to distract him?"_ Harry wrote this quickly as Ron and Hermione had come to see what had him preoccupied. _"What did it cost you?"_

"She said she'd hold him off if she could…" Hermione muttered. "Harry, what did she mean by that?"

"Finding out now. She said she diverted him to Hogsmeade, but I'm not sure how."

" _Not nearly what it was worth."_ Was all that appeared on the parchment, and when Harry said it aloud, he received worried loos from both of his friends. They were probably thinking the same thing he was; something had happened when she had lured him away, but she would not be clear as to what. Either way, it was cause for concern. Harry wasn't sure on just how to respond, though. Words appeared again, but it was a definite topic change. _"Did Rolanda make it out alive?"_

" _I don't know. There were several death eaters there when we left-"_ Just as Harry had finished writing this, a patronus in the form of a hawk flew into the tent and disappeared after only three words were uttered. "Safe for now." Harry resumed writing as soon as the hawk's silvery whisps had vanished completely. _"Just heard. She made it out and is safe for now."_

" _Remain on alert."_

That was the last they had heard from anyone having to do with Hogwarts for several weeks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had moved off and on over that time with the intention of staying hidden. Ron had listened to the wireless more often than not these days, and Harry's temper was flaring at the worst of times. He would not say a word; choosing to go off on a walk with the invisibility cloak on. Hermione was caught in the middle of it, and for that Harry felt he should apologize. She was spending time with Ron, just easing his fears of his family's untimely capture; that resulted in long hours of them just talking and looking at Harry awkwardly when he walked in on it. Still, Harry had his own issues to deal with. He heard the names, knew the cost, and shared in Ron and Hermione's fear for their families' safety. He had come to think of the Weasleys as his own family; he also worried for friends that had actually gone back this year.

One cool November morning found Ron and Hermione eating breakfast and Harry coming in from keeping watch for the evening. It was still dark and starting to spit snow again; he was cold, and they had offered him some hot toast and piping tea, or Hermione had, anyway. They had all spent the previous day ignoring one another due to the all-around bad mood the horcrux had put them in. Hermione had spent an hour or so looking over her old family photos, Ron had spent the afternoon on the wireless, and Harry had poured over the marauders' map when he wasn't out on watch. Now however, they all were sitting around a table and had nothing else to do but look each other over. With the wireless on in the background, Harry was already ready to avoid the morning meal.

"Harry, pass on the horcrux. I'll take the first watch." Hermione said as she refilled his and her teacup. "You know, we'll have to move sometime today or tonight, right?"

"Yeah." Harry said as he put a knife-load of jam on his toast. "Remember you saying that yesterday. Where do you think we should go?"

"I don't know, to be honest." She said back; Hermione had just put the locket on and was prepared to head out. "Were you thinking anything in particular?"

"I dunno." Harry had wanted to go to Godric's Hollow since they had started traveling, but he was sure Hermione was right; that Voldemort expected him to go there. "Can't really think of anything at the moment. Maybe go a little further north."

"A good idea." Hermione nodded as she took one last piece of toast. "Seems there's less activity up that way. We need to get to another shop and get more provisions as well. I'm running low as it is."

"I could have made a run while out last night." Harry volunteered, but Hermione shook her head.

"It's fine. I think we've stayed here too long as it is." She headed out toward the tree where they usually kept watch and called back: "Can you start throwing the non-essentials into my bag? I'll help pack the rest later."

"Sure." Harry was thankful for the excuse to get up and start doing something. He pulled a few things like books and Hermione's copy of _The Tales of Beadle The Bard_ off of their respective resting places and placed them into Hermione's bag. He even took the essence of dittany from its shelf and placed it carefully in a small case of phials and potions that Hermione stored Moody's polyjuice potion in. When all of that was done, he drained the remainder of the tea and headed for his bed. Pointing his wand at the parchment lying on it, he tapped it carefully. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

While he watched dots with various labels moving on the map, Harry felt his eyelids getting heavy. He had just seen Mr. Filch swearing as a dot labeled "Peeves" zoomed past him. He could see Snape sitting in the headmaster's study, but had no idea what he was doing. Amycus Carrow was having what looked like a discussion or argument with Professor McGonagall; seeing as they were still standing in the same place for over five minutes. He even saw Ginny heading to the great hall for breakfast with Seamus and Neville. Only when he felt he could hold his head up no longer did he tap the map again and mutter "Mischief managed." The ink lines and dots disappeared from the parchment and he replaced it in the mokeskin before he removed his glasses and wand to sleep. As his head hit the pillow and eyes closed, he barely heard the wireless anymore. Its announcer's dull voice droned but changed into a hissing sound over time. He could see a corridor, a broken down door, and a skeletal man cowering on the floor; the tip of a wand pointed just between his eyes.

"Tell me where it is!" Harry said in a high-pitched and desperate cold voice. "I must know where it is!"

"I do not know…" The eastern-european accented man looked up with his body shaking in fear. "I… It was stolen-"

"By whom, Gregorovich! Tell me who stole it!" The cold voice spoke again, and Harry swore the thin man on the ground was prepared to vacate his bowels as the wand drew closer to the spot between his eyes.

"I-I do not know the thief…" Gregorovich screamed in earnest. "I do not know his name!" Harry saw a flash of bright light, the window of a shop, a pillow in the display, and a man's grinning face as he leaned over and took the wand that lay atop the pillow. Just like that, the man was gone and the wand gone with him.

"I know…" And another jet of light illuminated the room. This time, it was green as it enveloped Gregorovich; killing him instantly.

When Harry woke, it was to Hermione shaking him slightly. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him oddly. Perched on the edge of her bed, she was holding his glasses and a cup of tea in her cold hands; when he fully regained awareness of his surroundings, she handed him both. He put on his glasses and drank the tea slowly so as not to burn his throat. Once he had done that, he looked her in the eye and spoke in an excited tone.

"Hermione, he's after a wand. Gregorovich made it, and he thinks that it is the one that will help him win this war. He found Gregorovich and the wandmaker told him the wand he wanted was stolen; that he didn't know who had taken it, but I think Gregorovich was lying. I think he knew exactly who took that wand but didn't tell him his name-"

"Hold on, Harry!" Hermione said, while trying to take it all in. "You think… he… is after a wand that is special or something; a wand that Gregorovich made?"

"Yeah. He's after it, and Gregorovich told him it was stolen from his shop. I don't know who it was, but I saw the thief. He was a young man, blonde hair, and he looked… " But Harry could barely remember what the young and eager wizard had looked like. He had fair hair and blue eyes; he was also wearing a self-assured expression that Harry had seen too many times with some of his not-so-friendly classmates.

"Did you let him in again, or did this happen while you slept?" Hermione asked somewhat excitedly.

"Happened while I slept." Harry admitted, and as he got up, he went to the table nearby to pick up an apple from the basket. "I think this is still the same wand Ollivander told him about."

"But what makes this wand better than others?" Hermione asked; still doubtful that it was merely a wand that would hold someone like Voldemort off. "Where is the thief now?"

"Dunno, but it looked like the wand was stolen years ago." Harry said. "The shop looked ancient."

"Are you sure Gregorovich made it or was it one he found?"

"I don't know… There wasn't enough there to know… Just saw an old shop, a pillow, and the wand being nicked by some young man. What time is it?"

Just after noon." Hermione said quietly as she moved from his bed to her own. "I just came in for a sandwich and saw you all rigid."

"I'm fine." Harry assured her as he got up and retrieved his wand. "I'll take watch for a bit. Do you want me to take that as well?" He indicated the horcrux that Hermione had absently removed from under her shirt

"No..." She looked over to Ron, who had been sitting on his bed for a good while now. "Ron can take it for a few hours." She tuned and looked Ron over curiously "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, don't s'pose I do." Ron said as he took and donned the locket. His tone suggested that he did mind, but Hermione waved it off. She began packing a few more things while Harry went back out to stand watch.

He couldn't quite wrap his mind around just why Voldemort was chasing after a wand that had been stolen several years ago. What was so special about this wand and why did he think it would ensure his victory over Harry's? As he sat up in a tree to keep a better watch on te area around him, Harry's thoughts returned to the horcrux Ron was less than enthusiastic on wearing. He wouldn't have minded taking it himself. Ron had gotten more and more irritable when asked to take the horcrux for any amount of time, but it was something that had to be done. It affected Hermione and himself as well as Ron. Unfortunately, they still were no closer to finding another horcrux or the means to destroy it. That was what frustrated him most.

He didn't know how long he had sat there, but the snow had started sticking to him more as the sun sank lower. That meant that nightfall was fast approaching, and they would need to leave soon. Getting down from the tree, he heard voices; they seemed very close, and as he searched the area around wht his eyes, he spotted them. There was a group of people traveling together. There were three humans and two goblins. Two humans and a goblin were familiar; Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas, and Griphook were among the travelers. Ted was Nymphadora Tonks' father and Andromdea's husband. Dean was a classmate and fellow seventh-year gryffindor. Griphook was the goblin that had escorted him to his vault the first time he had gone to Gringotts with Hagrid. They were across the river from where Hermione had set up the tent, and they were talking about a little of everything. Harry was half tempted to make contact with them, but as they approached, their voices became hurried and changed from a jovial tone to hushed whispers.

"They've spotted us!" Dean had frantically whispered while he and the other man had pulled out their wands. "We've got to go!"

"Grab hold, you two!" Ted whispered harshly to the goblins, but before both could, snatchers had come upon them, and Griphook was left behind. The three wild-looking snatchers lead by a gruff looking thing Harry recognized as Fenrir Greyback, took the goblin and were off. This left Harry to return to the tent to warn Hermione. Reaching the entrance, he touched Hermione's shoulder as she was putting a few other things in her bag.

"They're in the area; snatchers." He said as he was making sure everything in the tent was secure. "We need to get out of here, now."

"Right. I'm getting everything else packed." Hermione motioned to the tent, which she was preparing to collapse, but then Ron exited. "Oh good. I need to pack this away."

"Forgot I was here, did you?" He asked crossly as Hermione collapsed the tent and replaced it into her bag. "Noticed how you two just went on talking this morning like I wasn't there."

"No." Harry and Hermione said this together; sharing a look of confusion.

"Right, well carry on with your planning then."

"What are you on about?" Harry asked; his eyes on Ron, who looked livid. "Not like we don't involve you."

"Oh, right. All that talk about Gregorovich and the wand earlier was a general discussion."

"Come on, Ron." Hermione muttered exasperated. "It isn't like it was just between us. We didn't whisper to keep you out of it."

"No, he was too busy listening to that wireless again." Harry said hotly, as he pointed a finger at Ron. "Honestly, as if that will make matters any easier."

"Maybe you don't give a damn about other peoples' families in this war, but I've got mine to worry about!" Ron began tis argument again. He turned to Hermione as if to try and persuade her. "He's got a contact with the Order, and we don't hear anything about my family!"

"You don't think I know how that feels-" Harry started.

"No, you DON'T know how it feels!" Ron shouted back. "Your parents are dead! You have no-" He didn't get to finih that statement. Harry had moved forward with full intent to strike Ron,and he did; he punched him straight in the nose as hard as possible.

"Not like she knows anything about your family. What part of their being in hiding and not in contact with anyone do you not seem to get? What about Hermione's family? Not like you're worried about them, is it?"

"Please leave them out of this…" Hermione muttered. She had already told them what had happened to her family; how she had wiped their memories clean and made them think that they were natives of Australia and that she had been their travel agent's assistant while they had toured Ireland and the UK. "Ron, just calm down!"

"I will not calm down!" He shouted; knocking a pile of packed items to the ground. "We've been out here for how long, and we've accomplished what?"

"We've found one of the horcruxes. What did you think, that we'd have them found and sorted and be home by Christmas? Hoping to be safe with mummy and having a good hot meal, were you?" Harry snarled.

"Just because you don't have parents that did anything for you-" Ron started, but Harry cut him off by hitting him.

"You have no idea the sacrifices people have made for me!" Harry hissed as Ron recovered from the initial shock of being hit. "You think you have a clue about what all of this is like? Like you understand everything that people seem ready to put on my shoulders now that Dumbledore is dead? Just once, I wish you were in my place; that way you'd know just what I'm having to deal with when I hear you complain about not finding these things fast enough!" While Hermione had tried getting between them, Harry had advanced past her. "Go home to your Mum if you don't like what we're having to do here! Go on!"

"And you?" Ron, who had taken in every word Harry had said, was looking to Hermione. "Are you staying or going?"

"What?" Hermione looked between the two best friends and seemed about to cry. "Ron, I-"

"Right, you're staying then. Fine." He went to stomp away, when Hermione grabbed his shoulder.

"Ron, take off the locket… If you weren't wearing it, you wouldn't be saying any of this."

"And what's his excuse, then?" Ron growled as he shot a look at Harry. "He got a reason for spouting off like he did?"

"Ron, take it off!" Hermione shouted; her eyes flashing warningly for Harry to not say a word. "Take the locket off!"

"Keep the bloody thing!" Ron bellowed, and he took the locket off and threw it at Harry. Harry caught it and glared back as Ron turned on his heel and marched away; reaching a spot just beyond the tree where Harry had been and disapparating.

* * *

 **A/N 2:** Happy reading, you lot :) I'll be posting the next bit soon.

Cheers!


	7. A Tale of Two People

**Hallowed**  
 _Chapter Seven: A Tale of Two People_

* * *

For the next week or so, Hermione had waited in the new location; stocking up on resources and provisions while she had the opportunity. Harry spent it barely sleeping and keeping watch when Hermione was out. He knew she was still hoping Ron would come back, but it seemed that there was no chance of that. It was nearing the end of December now, and they still had found nothing. In her spare time however, Hermione had been reading over the book Dumbledore had left her. Familiar with most of the stories in it now, she was stuck on the _Tale of the Three Brothers_. There was a page that she kept examining, and every time she was asked about it, she would shake her head in frustration.

"I just don't know what it means…" She finally offered on the 18th of December. "I've seen this mark before, but it isn't a rune; I've checked the _Spellman's Syllabary_ at least ten times. It's just not there…" Finally getting a look, Harry recognized the mark.

"Hermione!" She looked up at him in alarm. "That's the same marking Luna's dad, Xenophilius wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding." Harry could remember it well; it had been rather hard to not notice, and Krum… "Remember, Viktor said that was the mark of Gallert Grindelwald."

"That's right…" Hermione clapped her hand to her forehead. "He said that Grindelwald had apparently put that symbol on a wall at Durmstrang…"

"But how does it tie into all of this…" Harry muttered as he took a few eggs and cracked them before cooking them on the camp stove that was in the tent. "Why is that mark there…"

"Dumbledore didn't leave any notes as to why… There's just that mark." Hermione said as she worked with the toast. They were simply eating egg sandwiches that night due to the lack of anything else to really cook. They had managed to get eggs, toast, milk, tea, and sugar from a local market before it had closed this evening. "Harry, I've actually been thinking about something as well…" She pulled the now brown toast from the fire and placed the stack of four pieces on a plate before passing it to Harry. "I've been thinking it might be a good idea to go to Godric's Hollow after all."

"What made you change your mind?" Harry asked; he pulled two pieces of toast off the stack and separated them. When the egg was fried fully, he used a spatula to place it on one slice of toast before handing the plate to Hermione again. "Something in that book?"

"Thanks, and no." she replied as she traded him a full teacup for the sandwich. "I think it could be a good starting point to look for the sword."

"You think it could be there?"

"Well, seeing as it's the birthplace of Gryffindor himself, it might be a good place to start looking. I mean… It makes sense in a way."

"Yeah, it does." Harry had to agree. Where else should they start looking? "Hermione, there's also Bathilda Bagshot as well. She may know something."

"It's possible." Hermione agreed while eating a corner of her sandwich. "It's the best lead we've got."

So, for the next week, Harry and Hermione moved further north and kept an eye on the snatcher activity. There were fewer of them, but the ones they found were traveling in packs and seemed to be more alert. At one time, Harry could have sworn one knew they were there; he walked within a foot of where Hermione was standing, and paused. Later, Hermione cursed herself for wearing perfume that day. It had been trace amounts from the clothes she had worn when they fled Grimmauld Place. From that point on, they moved in the dead of night; arriving on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow on December 24th.

Hermione insisted on pitching the tent and unpacking herself, but Harry went and withdrew most of the necessities from the bag and began assisting. Godric's Hollow would be there after they finished setting up camp. He began casting the protective charms around them, and only when that was completed did he don the cloak and leave their campsite. It was a bitter winter's night, and there was no shortage of snow and ice on the ground. He made it down a small hillside and entered the village before realizing just how late it was. The clock in the square read 11:47, and there were people filing into the little church not far away from it. Looking past he church, he saw the small graveyard and his heart sank. This had to be where they were.

Harry walked through thickening snow as he made his way through the village. Houses were alight with candles, angels, and the like as he passed. Shadows lingered in curtain-drawn windows for a moment before disappearing into darkness as flames were extinguished. When he reached a narrow lane, he stopped; there were only a few houses here, and one seemed to be in a severe state of ruin. It was the one at the end of this narrow street, and as Harry approached it, he realized why it was in the state it had been. The front gate hung open as if waiting for someone to enter, and its postbox held various messages magically written on it. They were dedicated to two people and their baby son; to Lily and James Potter and himself. They were well-wishes, words of strength, and vows to never forget. He recognized some handwriting and noted that some had faded over time, but all of the messages made him feel uneasy.

Pushing open the gate, Harry walked along the overgrown and frozen garden path; the footprints of the one who had murdered his parents long hidden by vines and snow. He could feel the knot forming in his throat as he reached the front stoop and touched the door. Immediately, he heard a man's voice echoing: _"Lily! He's here! Take Harry and run! Take him and run!"_ He pushed open the front door and shrank back as it banged against the wall; falling off of its hinges. A flash of green light and the shadow of a man crumpled on the floor were what greeted him, but as Harry gripped the doorframe to steady himself, he realized that it was only an echo of what had happened seventeen years ago. Advancing further in, he saw the living room that he had spent his first Christmas in. It was in nowhere near good condition now, but Harry could recognize the structure as the room he had flown around with Sirius' toy broom.

Once the ground floor was looked over, Harry took the stairs carefully. They were still structurally sound, though they shouldn't have been. He saw his parents' room with a bed that had fallen in over the years and a once handsome furniture set and bathroom. He looked through it carefully and found a few things that were still intact: his father's travel knife, a handmade deep emerald blanket with gold trim, and a bottle of what he assumed was his mother's perfume. Pocketing the former and latter of the objects, Harry held the blanket and attempted to remember it. Nothing came to mind right away, and Harry finally left the room with the blanket draped over his arm. He turned to the left and headed down the hallway toward the last bedroom. This was the coldest room in the house, and it wasn't just because of the gaping hole in the corner of the wall.

The door was open, and there were remnants of wallpaper hanging off of the walls as Harry entered the smaller bedroom. The lump that had formed in his throat from the moment he had entered the garden was at its largest state now. He stood just past the doorway and looked down at the crib that was blasted apart on one side. As he reached out to take hold of the changing table for support on the unstable floor, it happened again: _"Harry, Mama loves you… Dada loves you…"_ The whispers of his mother filled his ears. _"You're so loved…"_ He gripped the table's edge in an attempt to keep himself in the present, but it was failing miserably. _"Harry, be safe…"_

 _"_ _The boy…"_ The high and snake-like voice of Voldemort clashed with the gentle one that was Lily Potter's. _"I seek the boy."_

 _"_ _Kill me!"_ He could see the shadow of Lily standing in front of the remains of the crib. _"Take me instead!"_

 _"_ _Stand aside, girl!"_

 _"_ _Take me! Leave Harry, leave my son-"_

 _"_ _Stand aside, you fool!"_

 _"_ _No!"_

 _"_ _As you wish…"_ Another jet of green light, and the form of his mother fell away; dissolving into the floor before the crib. Harry felt his own knees give way, and his arm was forced to bend as they hit the floor.

 _"_ _Harry… "_ He held on to the traces of his mother's voice, eyes searching the room, but he found nothing. _"Harry…_ Harry." He noted that the voice had changed from Lily's to another's; the accent was distinctly from the highlands, He felt a rush of warmth near him and a hand on his shoulder. It was a foundation for him to build on; to pull himself back into the present. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the broken down crib and he could feel the corner of a soft blanket gripped tightly in his free hand. Fully expecting to turn and see Hermione there beside him with a concerned look on her face, he kept looking forward as he spoke quietly.

"This makes it real…" His voice shook as he said it. Harry had always known what happened here, even if he didn't fully understand it at the time. There had been some part of his mind that had kept him from fully believing that someone he didn't remember had given everything for him; seeing the hole in the wall, the crib in shambles, and hearing his mother's last moments had shaken him more than it ever had before. "She died here… and I was in there."

"Places like this are the most difficult to see." Harry turned his head quickly; He had expected to see and hear Hermione just over his shoulder; her brown eyes on him in concern. Instead, he saw the thin face of his former head of house; her green eyes focused on the point where Lily had been when giving her life for her baby son. Green robes and traveling cloak hanging off of her thinner frame, Minerva McGonagall looked older than Harry had ever seen her. "You witnessed her death just now, I believe."

"I did…" He still felt the bitter cold wrapping itself around him like a vice as he blinked a few times. "Never in that detail, though…" Returning his gaze to the crib for a second, Harry steadied his breathing. "Honestly, you're the last person I expected. What are you doing here?"

"I needed a reason to leave the castle." It was a simple statement with a deeper meaning. Harry didn't question it at first, but the thought still lingered in his mind as she continued. "I expected you to be here at some point. It was merely chance that my visit here was timely."

"You came here to find me?" Harry asked as he shifted positions and g rose from the floor; shaking off ice and snow as he went.

"I know why you're here." She rose from the floor as well, and after taking a good look at him, she motioned for him to follow. "You are searching for the sword."

"How…"

"Keep in mind that Phineas Nigellus Black can hear every word you say when he leaves his portrait at Hogwarts." McGonagall said quietly as she used her wand to light a path back down the stairs. "I heard him mention something to the headmaster that I find rather disturbing."

"Such as?" Harry had tapped the blanket on his arm with his wand, and it had righted itself; folding into a long rectangle and hanging evenly over his wrist and forearm.

"That object around your neck." The professor said simply. She didn't have to look back to know Harry was half stunned that she knew. "When I touched your shoulder, I felt it. Nothing leaves a person as cold or gives off such a powerful aura."

"Didn't think you believed in that sort of thing." Harry remembered McGonagall's views of Divination and Sybil Trelawney very well. She had been opposed to the subject, to say the least. "Auras and all that."

"Reading an aura to determine one's fate or future, no; complete and utter rubbish. Unfortunately, a dark object like that will feel strange to those that are good of heart. I assume it is why you were so invested in what happened here seventeen years ago; you bear a part of the killer's soul."

"And you knew I'd come here how?" Harry asked as he followed her out the front door and through the gate. "Didn't hear Phineas going on about that with Snape, did you?"

"I heard Severus suggest it to Phineas, actually." McGonagall had paused to look back at the ruined cottage. Her expression was a slightly haunted one. At Harry's questioning look, she explained. "I was in Godric's Hollow the morning before this happened." She admitted. "I was meant to be here that night; before Sirius Black mentioned that Mr. Pettigrew was taking watch."

"I thought Pettigrew was their only secret keeper."

"He was." Motioning for Harry to replace the hood on his traveling cloak to obscure his face from sight, she continued. "We knew where they were, and at least one of the members of the Order would remain in the village itself."

"And Pettigrew volunteered that night?" Harry hated the question because the answer was obvious; had it been anyone else, his parents might have stood a chance. The two had already started along the narrow road toward the square before she answered.

"Well, that was not what led to their deaths that night; I trust by now that you know this. Peter Pettigrew betrayed them long before he chose to stand guard in Godric's Hollow that night."

"If someone else had been there, they could have run... Could have been informed beforehand." Harry reasoned. "They still could have had a fighting chance if someone more trustworthy had been there." Knowing that it wouldn't have made much of a difference didn't help matters; it only made him angrier at the thought. "But you're right... They were living on borrowed time... I was living on borrowed time."

"It comes with the territory of being involved in a resistance movement." McGonagall said quietly as they made it back to the square and Harry turned toward the graveyard. "We are all living on borrowed time until this war ends."

"Did you find your mother dead?" Harry posed the question, but wasn't sure if it was a very good idea. This had been a lingering curiosity since Moody had made sure they were speaking to the actual professor. "Sorry," He added quickly. "It was something I've thought about since..."

"No." Waving the apology off, the witch beside him hesitated as they passed the church and entered the graveyard behind it. Harry could hear singing within it, and he recognized the tunes. It was Christmas day. He was brought back to the more grim subject as they passed a few children's graves. "I was forced to watch as she was tortured. It was during the initial uprising; his followers were seeking out any members of the original Order of the Phoenix and attempting to gain intelligence. Any families they found, they dismantled. Seeing as my father was a muggle, it made my family a prime target."

"I thought they hated muggle-borns." Harry said as he looked over the names on the headstones.

"Remember that they hated blood traitors as much, if not more, than muggle-borns." The two had stopped at a pair of graves near the center of the burial ground. "He was a muggle priest; he left when he had enough of our sort. My mother was a powerful witch, mind you, but she couldn't fend off a dozen death eaters."

"She was put against a dozen death eaters?" Harry couldn't relate to it. He had seen more than a dozen surrounding himself and Voldemort in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, but they hadn't contributed to the battle. "How did that..."

"They came at dawn." McGonagall said bitterly. "They overtook her quickly and were torturing her by means of the cruciatus curse; death eaters were trying to find me, and she refused to tell them that I would arrive in less than an hour's time."

"And when you arrived.."

"I had to make a choice: Either I risked my life and dueled them in hopes that my mother would escape with my brothers, or I did nothing and waited for the inevitable. "

"What did you do?" Harry had a feeling he already knew the answer. It wasn't like Minerva McGonagall to back down from a good fight; even if she had a high likelihood of losing.

"I fought as long as I could, and my brothers used the distraction to do the same. They were not skilled duelists; they didn't last long. They were killed along with my mother before the death eaters fled. Alastor Moody and a few other Order members had arrived after receiving my warning." Professor McGonagall paused as she looked up into the dark sky. Her expression suggested that she was looking for the right words. "Had Alastor not been holding me back, I would have killed them all..."

"By what means?"

"I cannot answer that honestly."

For a time, the two walked among the graves in silence; each focusing on their own thoughts. Harry could easily relate to the want to kill someone who had accosted his family. In his darker hours, he would gladly kill Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Lord Voldemort himself, but his more logical side would outweigh the need for vengeance. There was always a small voice in his head that would ask him what good it would do to strike the ones who had destroyed his family, and he wanted to think that voice was an imprint of his mother. Lily had seemed the type, from what Harry knew of her, to not wish ill will against anyone; regardless of what they had done to her. It was only when he was about to run head-long into a crumbling gravestone did Harry actually pay attention to where he was going. Kneeling so that he could read the degraded writing, he almost fell over. The name on the headstone was Ignotus Peverell, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Under the name was that same triangular mark that Hermione had pointed out from Dumbledore's copy of _The Tales of Beadle the Bard._ He made a mental note to mention it to her when he returned to the tent and studied the mark more carefully.

"Grindelwald's mark…" He murmured absently; that seemed to catch his former teacher's attention.

"What?" She turned from the gravestones she had been looking at, and Harry noticed that they belonged to Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore. "Grindelwald? What could you know of him?"

"At Bill and Fleur's wedding," Harry explained. "Xenophilius Lovegood was wearing this mark around his neck on a chain. Viktor Krum saw it and said that it was Grindelwald's mark; said he saw where he had made that symbol on a wall at Durmstrang."

"Xenophilius…" Harry could tell that his head of house had about the same opinion of the man as most did. It was true that Mr. Lovegood was a bit… odd… to say the least. His oddness had obviously rubbed off on his daughter, Luna, but she was still sensible and quite smart. "Ah…" Spotting what Harry meant, McGonagall paused in thought for a moment. "I have seen that before; I was never able to determine its meaning, however."

"We don't know either." Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore left Hermione his copy of _The Tales of Beadle the Bard_ , and the symbol was drawn on one of the pages…" He thought hard in an attempt to remember which tale. "The Tale of the Three Brothers."

"Now that one I remember. The most prominent moral was to be wary of what you wished for."

"Among other things." Harry nodded in agreement with the professor's thought on the story's lesson. He knew all to well to be careful in regard to what he wished for. That had been taught a few times; both at Hogwarts and at the Dursleys'. "It's not in the Syllabary or anything."

Deciding to change subjects due to neither of them knowing what the odd symbol meant, Harry turned his attention to the other pair of graves. "Those belong to Dumbledore's mother and sister, don't they?"

"They do." Professor McGonagall cast an eye back toward the headstones. "Kendra and Ariana died here in Godric's Hollow. As I understand it, they moved here after Albus' father killed three muggles."

"Any idea why he did that?"

"Unfortunately, no." His teacher shook her head, and Harry wasn't surprised. It seemed Albus Dumbledore did indeed have secrets, but he highly doubted they were the likes of which could be found in Rita Skeeter's book. "All I know is he was sent to Azkaban for it and died there."

Harry stepped away from the grave of Ignotus Peverell and moved on through the countless others. He did not recognize any other names as he passed, but he saw messages carved on the crosses, stones, and angels that stood over them. He wondered just how many witches and wizards lived in the area, and how many muggles knew about it. As he neared the back of the yard however, he saw one headstone that stood out pearly white against the black and smoky-looking sky. It was made of marble, much like Dumbledore's tomb at Hogwarts, and he had to walk around it to see the names and inscription that was magically carved into the face of the headstone.

 ** _James Potter (27 March, 1960 – 31 October, 1981)  
Lily Evans Potter (30 January, 1960 – 31 October, 1981)_**

 ** _"_** ** _The Last Enemy that Shall Be Destroyed Is Death."_**

Harry stood reading the headstone again and again; as if to memorize and burn its words into his brain. He had wanted to find them, his parents, but now it made him almost sick to read their names here. It was the same uneasy feeling he had gotten when entering his childhood home and seeing the shadows of what had happened there. Harry withdrew his hand from the warm pocket of his traveling cloak and pulled the glove off of it. He also took the horcrux from around his neck and placed it inside the mokeskin purse for safekeeping. It wouldn't feel right; touching the headstone of his parents with a piece of their murderer's soul hanging around his neck. Once that was done and secure again, he touched the marble surface with his bare hand and ignored the stinging cold. It was a cold he hadn't felt before; solid, filling, and ever-lasting. He tried to pull his hand away, but it wouldn't move.

A sudden rush of unimaginable joy rushed through him, and Harry felt his own mouth twisting into a cruel smile. Everything had happened as it should; the traitor had led them right to this boy, and he was now dead. Harry Potter was dead; killed by the dark lord's curse, but something was amiss. That moment of intense joy, that feeling of being blindly drunk with power, was marred by a growing feeling of dread. Something had gone wrong. In that instant, Harry fell to the ground; screams of agony ringing in his ears, but it wasn't his voice. He could feel someone's arms around him and a growing warmth, but at the same time, there was still a piercing cold coming from his chest, and it felt as if he was splintering; shattering into jagged, icy pieces. Then, just as it had started, it stopped. He was left gasping for breath; long, unstable, but grounding breaths of icy winter air. Only when he had fully regained his sense of self did he start hearing his own breathing again.

"S-something really did go… wrong when he tried to kill me…" Harry managed before he had to take another deep breath. He felt the ground, solid and icy beneath him, and tried to stand. The arms that had kept him from smashing his head on his parents' headstone released, and he was able to regain his footing. Once he was securely upright again, he continued to look at the marble headstone in front of him. "Thanks for that." He said; noting that his voice didn't sound quite as shaky as before. "Happens at the worst of times… At least now, I know what he felt like when he tried to kill me… I'm thankful it hurt him."

"He felt pain when he attempted to kill you?"

"Not at first." Harry finally turned away from his parents' names and faced his former teacher. He explained just what he had felt when he had touched the smooth marble surface; described the pleasure, euphoria, and sudden crippling and splintering pain. He couldn't say what went wrong when the curse backfired, but whatever it was had caused Voldemort enough pain in the end. Even in the limited light that the church and street lamps cast throughout the graveyard, he could see the color only starting to return to her face. Harry could understand it; after all, it wasn't normal for someone to simply collapse out of nowhere and scream as he did. Then it hit him: the reason he only started hearing his own breathing when he regained his self-awareness was because McGonagall had the presence of mind to cast a silencing charm around them to keep from attracting unwanted attention. As an afterthought, he added "Did I say anything?"

"Nothing coherent." She offered. "How often does this happen?"

"This doesn't happen very much." Harry admitted. "I don't usually experience things in his past… I just see what he is doing at the time."

"That is how you were sure he had Garrick Ollivander."

"Yes." Harry had turned to read the headstone again, and found that he couldn't. Each time he tried, his eyes would burn. He imagined them lying just beneath its surface like Dumbledore had in his tomb at Hogwarts. He hated knowing what Voldemort had felt when attempting to kill him, hated seeing his mother blocking the crib with her body and falling to the floor; it was all overwhelming and a reminder of what he would not have ever again. Stepping forward again, he tentatively placed his hand on the marble again, but he did not feel that same wave of cold pass through him. Opening his mouth, he wasn't sure of what he wanted to say, but he felt he needed to say something. What came out made him shut it quickly. "I want to join them."

"I know." Harry hadn't thought he would hear that. He had expected a stern and questioning look. When Professor McGonagall continued, Harry understood just why she had said it. "You stand here; the last of your family, and all that you have left are vague memories of their murders. I presided over the burials of my mother and two brothers; I watched as my remaining family were laid to rest, and I believe you know just how tempting it would have been to join them."

"Would you have actually gone through with it?" Harry asked; he had fully memorized his parents' headstone and could look at it no more. When he turned away, he regarded his professor carefully. Her expression said that she knew full well how he felt at the moment.

"Had others not been there, I might have." She said softly, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I had three people making sure I did not do something unbelievably stupid that day; much like you have Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."

"I assume Madam Hooch was one of those people." Harry said, reflecting on the two being seen talking frequently at Hogwarts when he was there. "And Professor Sprout as well."

"And Poppy Pomfrey." It looked as if a sudden thought had occurred to her as she confirmed Harry's guess. "Ah, where are Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, anyway? Typically you three are inseparable."

"Hermione was finishing up setting up the tent on the ridge nearby. She said to go on alone as long as I kept the cloak on."

"And Mr. Weasley?"

"He left nearly a month ago." Harry said flatly. He didn't want to sound too angry about it, but he didn't want it to sound too casual either. "He expected us to find and destroy these things," He indicated the locket in the mokeskin before continuing. "And be on our way home by Christmas. He left around the middle of November and we don't know where he went; haven't heard a word."

"I assume he is worried for his family." There was clear disapproval in her tone as McGonagall spoke, but then again, the slightest amount of understanding was present.

"He's worried, and I can't blame him for that, but he's a right foul git for thinking that all of this would be easy."

"He'll realize soon enough that nothing in this war is easy."

"Eventually, yeah." Harry nodded. "Until then, he'll be living in the illusion that everything will right itself in the end and we won't have to do what I know we have to do."

"Well, he will understand in time. It is interesting how the things we lose come back to us all in the end." Withdrawing her wand, Professor McGonagall pointed it at the headstone before waving it in a circular motion. Where the stone had shown white and plain, a handsome wreath appeared. "The same is true for them. When you are in need of them, you'll be surprised at how they will reveal themselves."

"Wow…" Harry struggled to fully comprehend what she had just said. "I don't know what to say… Thank you, Professor."

"I suggest you lose the formality." Nodding in response to his thanks, McGonagall continued. "Seeing as you are no longer one of my charges."

"Right," Taken slightly aback, Harry understood her meaning. It would be odd at first, but he agreed. "But only on one condition." At her raised eyebrow, he grinned. "That you don't strictly use my surname anymore."

"Fair enough." Harry paced himself for what he was about to say. It would feel odd coming from him, but like everything else, he would adapt.

"Happy Christmas, Minerva."

"Happy Christmas, Harry."


	8. Bathilda Bagshot

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Eight: Bathilda Bagshot_

 **A/N:** Another game reference in the last chapter (This time from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" the game). I remember a review mentioning the ill fate of Amelia Bones in the sixth book in the series. Decided to disregard that in this fic, just for the heck of it. Anyway, enjoy the next chapters.

* * *

It took them all of ten minutes to realize that it was two in the morning. The clock at the church chimed twice; its tone echoing throughout the silent Christmas morning. They were completely alone in the burial grounds , and with the final chime of the clock, both saw the light that had fallen in small golden strips from the church windows had already gone out. All that were left were the white-blue orbs of light coming from the streetlamps. Both of the graveyard's occupants had just been standing there in comfortable silence; using warming charms off and on to ward off the bitter cold.

"I had best take my leave." The sudden breaking of that silence made Harry look back to his companion. "I'll be missed within the hour."

"If I remember correctly, Christmas was a private affair except for lunch and dinner in the great hall." Harry remembered a year or so when there weren't many people at all there during the holiday. He had sat at a table for thirteen one year.

"Sadly, times have changed." Minerva muttered bitterly. "All of the students remained throughout the holidays. It wasn't for their safety, either." She added with a frown. "Severus forbade students to leave the grounds, save for a Hogsmeade trip that was made especially for the weekend."

"How did you get out, then?" Harry asked with an ebbing curiosity. "Didn't feign illness, did you?"

"One of Fred and George Weasley's more brilliant ideas." Harry definitely saw a smirk appear on the woman's lips now. "Merlin knows I confiscated enough of their brilliance while they were students; especially in your fifth year."

"Didn't use one of the Skiving Snackboxes, did you?" Harry couldn't suppress a grin at the thought.

"Luckily, there was no need." At that, Harry did laugh. "The Three Broomsticks cleared out, and I waited until nightfall; transformed and left for a safe apparition point."

"I thought you could disapparate in Hogsmeade." Harry had done so at the end of last term with Dumbledore. It had been illegal, what he did being under age, but he had gotten just outside of the popular pub with the headmaster on his arm.

"There are charms in place that alert death eaters of a sudden presence in the village now. They have made good use of the Caterwauling charm."

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry muttered; making a personal note to mention it to Hermione when he returned to the campsite.

"For your own safety, do not return to the castle." The strict tone had returned to Minerva's voice as she looked him over for any sign of defiance. "If you think it is difficult out in the open, you have no idea what is waiting for you in the grounds and castle."

"Don't worry, I don't have plans to return there any time soon." Harry said, and for the time being, he meant it. He had no need to return to Hogwarts.

"Be well Harry, and remain on alert. Our enemies are in plain sight, even if we choose to ignore them at the time."

"Always." Harry said. He watched his former teacher turn on the spot and disapparate and hoped nothing would come of her meeting him here. With a final look at his parents' grave, he pulled the invisibility cloak out of the pocket of his traveling cloak and threw it over himself. Once it was securely around him, he headed back out of the cemetery and back up the main street of the village. There were fewer and fewer houses as he made his way back to the campsite, and he could see parents placing presents around the trees in most of them. He had seen it done many times with Dudley's at the Dursleys'. Vernon would bring them in from the car on Christmas eve and place them in mounds around the artificial tree that Petunia put up every year.

"Harry, there you are!" Hermione's voice interrupted his not-so-fond Christmas memories as he crossed the threshold into the field of enchantments that he had cast earlier. She wore her Gryffindor scarf, a black traveling cloak, and a deep scarlet wool hat as she emerged from the tent. He threw off the cloak and stuffed it into his pocket just in time for her to place a mug of hot chocolate into his hands. "I've been wondering where you went. I expected you back an hour ago…"

"Sorry." Harry took a long gulp from the mug and let the chocolate fill him. "I got caught up talking with someone, and I've got something to show you."

"Who were you talking to?" She asked as she finished lacing up her boots before joining him at the edge of the enchantments. "Not a stranger, was it?"

"No, not at all." Harry grinned as he pulled the hood of his cloak tighter around his neck. "Hang on. Got to drop something off." It was only then that Hermione noticed the snow-flecked blanket that was still on his arm.

"It's beautiful." She commented as Harry unfolded the good-sized heavy blanket and used a cleaning spell to clear away any dirt or snow from it and then a warming charm before placing it on his bed. "Was it made by hand? Where did you find it?"

"I assume it was made by hand, and I found it in my parents' house." Harry answered as he refilled his cup and headed out with Hermione. "I went there first and looked around. Most of the house is still stable, but my room has a gaping hole in it." At Hermione's surprise, he went on. "Ran into someone there as well."

"Bathilda Bagshot?" It was a good guess, but he had seen nothing of the author since they had entered Godric's Hollow.

"No, McGonagall."

"What!" Hermione's surprise at hearing their former teacher had been there made harry smile. "But… Why on Earth would she be here?"

"Said she needed a reason to get out of the castle. She assumed we'd come here eventually, and said it was a lucky guess that she checked while we were here." He decided to press on to what he had found in the graveyard. "Hermione, I found that symbol again; the one in your book. It was on a headstone."

"The triangular eye one?"

"Yeah. It was on the headstone of Ignotus Peverell. Just this way." He had pulled his hood up over his head while they were walking along the main road. "I also found my parents' grave. That's where I've been most of the time." As an afterthought, Harry added: "Oh, and she knows about the horcruxes as well."

"Told you I wouldn't put that past her." Hermione smiled. She had made that comment one afternoon at Grimmauld Place before they had left. The two didn't talk again until they reached the church in the square. When walking past it, Harry indicated the cemetery and, once they had entered it, the grave of Ignotus Peverell.

"Right there." He indicated the triangular symbol carved just below Peverell's name and dates of life. While Hermione studied it, he spoke in a quieter tone. "McGonagall said she had seen that symbol but wasn't sure of what it meant either."

"Still odd… Why would it be here on a grave in Godric's Hollow and on one of the pages of the book as well…" Hermione mused as she stood up. She noticed the graves of Ariana and Kendra Dumbledore and that of Harry's parents as well. After examining each in turn, she spotted the slowly disappearing footprints that showed where Harry and the professor had been standing earlier. Turning her gaze to Harry, she posed a question. "How did that go; seeing your parents' grave, I mean?"

"It went alright." Harry said passively. "I know what he went through when he tried to kill me now. I'm glad it hurt him when he failed."

"You what?" And Harry had to explain the sensations and emotions he had experienced when touching the marble with his bare hand the first time. Hermione looked pale when he was done, but she nodded in acceptance. "Oh Harry…." She paused just as quickly as she had spoken, and Harry followed her eyes. Just at the gates of the cemetery stood a figure that was slightly hunched over. They wore a thick brown traveling cloak, and by the form, both Harry and Hermione assumed it was a woman. She carried a lantern that made her ancient face look oddly gaunt and hollow in its light. "Who is that…"

"Dunno, but I think she wants us to join her." Harry muttered as he saw the woman looking right at them.

"I don't like this, Harry…" Hermione muttered as they slowly made their way across the graveyard and toward the woman who was now starting to amble off toward a side street that Harry had been down hours before. "I really don't like this…"

"I've been down this way…" Harry read the small sign on the corner of the street. It was the one his parents' cottage was on. "This is where McGonagall met me… in the nursery of my parents' house, that is." He corrected. Harry found himself speaking in low tones, so as to keep the woman in front of them from hearing. He wasn't quite sure as to why, but he kept his voice down anyway. "I wonder if she saw us coming out of the cottage and going to the graveyard…"

"Then she follows and waits until you're almost alone…." Hermione muttered while keeping an eye on the woman who had approached a cottage that looked positively devastated by time and being uncared for. He read the name on the postbox and confirmed his thoughts.

"It's Bathilda Bagshot."

The woman stepped up onto the front stoop and went to open the door, but her hands were so stiff she could hardly grip the handle to turn it. Harry stepped forward and opened it for her, but as he did, he almost fell over. A very strong odor of old cabbage, stale air, and dung met his nose. He motioned to Hermione to indicate that she should use something to blind her sense of smell, and the two of them tapped their noses with their wands. Immediately, the smell of eucalyptus and menthol filled his nose. It was the smell of what he used to rub on his nose when he had a cold. When he entered the house, he saw the woman waiting for him in the center of what looked to be a parlor. There were photographs and other small things on the shelves, and Harry was unale to make out any of it at first.

"Lumos maxima." He produced a single orb of light that hung in the air above them all until Hermione had managed to summon several stubby candles and had lit them. Once she sent them throughout the parlor, Harry waved his wand and the orb of light fell away and went out. He spotted on e photograph that stuck out; it was of a young man, the thief that had robbed Mykew Gregorovich's shop. Addressing the woman, he spoke quietly. "Are you Bathilda Bagshot?" When he received a nod that looked more like a person going through a small fit, Harry continued. "Who is that in that photograph?" He indicated the young man he had seen robbing the wand shop. "Do you know?"

"Harry?" Hermione questioned as her eyes landed on the photograph. "Who is he?"

"He's the one I saw in Gregorovich's wand shop." Harry muttered under his breath. Bathilda Bagshot didn't answer his question; she didn't even seem to have heard him. Instead, she walked away; toward a rickety old staircase. Harry called after her, but she merely stopped and looked at him as if telling him wordlessly to follow. When he and Hermione finally did, she waited until they were at the foot of the stairs before holding her hand up to Hermione. After a moment, Harry understood. "I think she wants me to go alone." When he received that same odd nod, Harry went to follow her up the stairs.

"Harry…"

"I'll be right back." Harry said quietly. "Look around and see what you can find. Maybe she knows something but can't tell it." He had seen that behavior before with Ginny when she had tried to warn them about the chamber of secrets in her first year. As Harry went up the stairs however, he found himself thinking that that might not be the case. Still, he followed, although the smell and his sense of something being wrong were getting worse. He tapped his wand again to his nose, and was relieved when the smell of menthol vapors filled it again. He got to the top of the atairs and was looking at an attic that had been turned into a storage area for all sorts of rubbish. Addressing the woman again, he tried something different. "Mrs. Bagshot, is there something up here you wanted me to find?"

She nodded and pointed over to a darker corner of the room. He lit his wand and went to looking, but he saw nothing of real importance. There were a few long boxes that looked to have old robes hangng out of them from where the boxes had been overstuffed, and a few spindly tables. When he looked back, he saw that she had put the lantern down and was just motioning for him to keep going. He finally got into the very back of the corner and was rummaging through the boxes; hoping to feel the cool handle of Gryffindor's sword, but instead he felt fuzzy old robes, a few handbags, and what felt like a leathery substance that shredded each time he touched it. Ragged breathing behind him made him turn quickly, but what he saw made him freeze.

Bathilda Bagshot looked to be having a fit; her eyes were rolling back into her skeletal head and her hands were clawing at a place on her neck. As her grubby fingernails broke the skin, a black, almost congealed, blood spilled out and the skin tore away like paper. The breathing turned into a pained and disturbing moan, but it too dissolved into a mad hissing sound. In seconds, Harry knew why. A snake, green as poison, emerged from the now hanging wound on Bathilda's neck. It kept coming; forming massive coils, and remaining as thick as ever. Only when the last of its long body had emerged did the body fall and crumble. The blood that had been issuing from it turned into maggots.. Harry recognized this snake as it rared up and opened its great mouth; it was Nagini, Voldemort's companion.

"Hermione!" He managed to shout as the serpent lunged at him. Her fangs were bared, and there was a mad look in her beady eyes. Harry gripped his wand and made mad slashing motions at the snake with Snape's curse in mind. As he did, gashes appeared on the snake's thick skin, but it did not bleed as severely as Harry had hoped. He felt it wrapping a few coils around him to attempt keeping him still, and as he struggled to keep his wand arm free, he felt the edge of one of the snake's fangs cut into his shoulder as it lunged. He had managed to jerk out of the way, but that didn't matter. Nagini still continued to make mad lunges at him; hissing and spitting as she went, and Harry could just hear the scrambling of feet on the stairs. Hermione was on her way up.

"Bombarda!" She had shouted at the door, which Bathilda had apparently bolted when she had made sure he had his back turned. Hermione had broken down the door and was casting a frantic "Lumos Maxima" to enlighten the room. Once done, she had started sending curses wildly at the snake while it was distracted, but as she did, Nagini loosened her grip on Harry.

"Hermione, get us a way out of here!" Harry shouted as he felt himself sinking back into Voldemort's mind again. He could see land masses moving quickly below him. Some were snow-covered and others were not. He was excited; She had finally managed to trap him in that old hag's cottage. He was there and would be dead within minutes. He, Voldemort would be the one to kill Harry, but he wasn't Voldemort. He was Harry. Blinking rapidly, he finally saw the snake swim into view again just as she went to lunge at him again. Her attack missed and sent her striking some molded old robes in a box.

"HARRY!" Hermione bellowed as she used another spell to try and distract Nagini. "MOVE!"

He felt the coils loosen again, and Harry took that time to wriggle out of the snake's line of fire. He managed to pull himself back against the back wall, and when he had a steady grip on his wand, he pointed it at the window that led outside. "Confringo!" A blast erupted from his wand tip and he struggled to keep a hold on it. The wall he had aimed at exploded; sending wood and glass fragments everywhere. As dust filled the air, he felt a rush of wind. He was flying again; a sense of urgency flooded him now. She was failing. He needed to get there in time to stop the boy from escaping again. He was almost there… The outskirts of Godric's Hollow… the church…

"Harry! Come on!" Hermione's voice pierced the whistling night air, and Harry felt himself being roughly pulled into a standing position. "We've got to go!"

"Jump!" He said half aware of his surroundings or what he was saying. He could still feel that desperation. He also heard the mad hissing of the snake behind him as Hermione pulled him over the side of the attic. He did have the presence of mind to grip his wand and force himself to land on his opposite side so as not to damage it, Hermione was already pulling him back up and urging him to run when he felt the full weight of his body again, but as he rounded the street corner and moved back to the campsite, he felt his head swim again. His scar erupted with pain, and he collapsed just inside the field of enchantments.

He was sweeping through the cottage, up the stairs, and searching the room. Ragged breathing that was not his own filled his ears, and the mad spitting of the snake did as well. He could see the body of Bathilda Bagshot and the destroyed attic; Nagini coiling around his shoulders. He could hear soft hissing in his ears as well. The boy had escaped with the mudblood. He had managed to slip away again! Advancing through the attic, he kicked the remains of the old historian aside as he approached the gaping hole in the wall. He could see the rubble and the impact in the snow where the boy had fallen and managed to run…

* * *

"Harry… Harry? Harry!" A hand shook his shoulder rapidly, and he could feel something solid but soft under him. There was also something very warm and comfortable thrown over him. Opening his eyes, he saw the inside of the tent and Hermione's face peering down at him. She had a warm cloth In her hand and was going over his forehead with it. The simple action seemed to soothe the pain in his scar. "Thank goodness…" She sighed in relief as he blinked several times. "I only managed to get everything packed and hold on to you to disapparate away…

"Where…" Harry croaked as he tried to sit up. "Where are we?" He pulled himself into a sitting position and felt the pain of their struggle with the snake immediately. There were probably bruises that hadn't healed, but he did notice that his shoulder wasn't throbbing from where Nagini had bitten him.

"Forest of Dean." She replied as she straightened up. "Used to come here with my parents."

"Got away from Godric's Hollow, then?" Harry muttered as he looked through his pockets to make sure he hadn't lost anything in the struggle. Hermione saw what he was doing and directed his attention to the bedside table. His mokeskin, wand, father's knife, and mother's perfume were there. Pulling the mokeskin toward him, he opened it and emptied out the contents onto the green blanket he was covered with. The marauders' map, two way parchment, quill, horcrux, and the bottle of phoenix tears dropped out of it. "It was stupid to go there, Hermione. I'm-"

"No." Hermione said quickly as she examined the locket carefully before donning it. "I wanted to go there too. I thought maybe the sword would be there somewhere…" She stood abruptly and went to her bed; retrieving something from her traveling cloak. "It wasn't a total waste, though."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he replaced everything where it should be. He had to repair a few places on his traveling cloak from where it had caught in the brambles around Bathilda's cottage.

"That man you recognized… I know who he is." Hermione pushed a photo into Harry's hands and he recognized the young thief instantly. "That is Gellert Grindelwald."

"That's Grindelwald?" Harry stammered as he looked into the man's slightly impish face. "I would have thought he might have been…"

"That must have been when he was much younger." Hermione said quickly. "He was related to Bathilda Bagshot." Hermione offered at Harry's slight confused look. "That was why she had his photograph."

"So He's after Grindelwald's wand... er the wand he stole." Harry muttered.

"But why…"

"I don't know." Harry pulled his wand and other possessions back toward him and placed them back into his pockets. "How long was I out?"

"Several hours." Hermione handed him back his watch. He saw that it had been at least a day since they had gotten out of Godric's Hollow; the wee hours of the 27th of December. "How are you feeling?"

"Good enough to take watch for a bit." Harry said quietly as he moved for the tent's threshold. "Enchantments set up?"

"Did them as soon as I got here." Hermione said. "Are you sure you feel alright?"

"Yeah." Harry said as he stepped out into the crisp morning air. "I'm fine. I'm sure you've been keeping a close eye on me. Get some sleep. I'll wake you around time for breakfast." He assured her, and he went out into the snow.

There was much on his mind after the events at Godric's Hollow while he stood out against a tree. What had happened in his parents' house, the graveyard, and even in the rotting cottage of Bathilda Bagshot were reeling through his mind's eye like a broken film. Then there was Grindelwald, the predecessor to Voldemort, who had stolen a wand from Gregorovich's shop. What was so important about it? Why was he after a single wand that had been used by Grindelwald in a duel with Dumbledore… But wait, how did he even know that? Harry had a feeling that his thoughts were being contributed to by Voldemort's knowledge of the wand and its history, but he didn't know what to make of it. He spent the morning mulling things over, and as the sun rose higher in the clouds, the blue hues of the morning faded to a snowy grey. He decided then that it would be a good time to wake Hermione.

Getting back to the tent, Harry entered, sorted through their food stores, and started making toast and eggs while Hermione continued to sleep. He could see that her dreams were uneasy, and he had a feeling the horcrux was part of the problem. When he was satisfied that the toast still had a moment before it was done, he went to her bed and shook her gently. "Hermione." He said as he gave her shoulder another shake. She finally jumped and woke with a start. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He added quickly as he went back to the toast and eggs. "Half ten in the morning. Figure I'd wake you."

"Thanks." She said as she threw off her blanket and stood up. "Ah, got breakfast cooking, do you? Did you see anything out there?"

"No." Harry answered her last question while pulling the toast off of the small fire he had conjured. "Nothing yet. Here."

"Thanks. I'll get the tea." She pulled his tea kettle from her bag and looked for her stash of teabags. "Oh sod it…" She pulled a few thick pieces of chocolate and a small jar of milk out. Pouring the milk into the kettle, she tapped it with her wand and let the kettle steam for a few minutes before opening it and dropping the chocolate in. "Maybe a change will do us good."

"Or give us Dumbledore's sweet tooth." Harry grinned as he bit into his own egg sandwich. "Either way…"

"And my parents are dentists…" Hermione laughed. She hadn't really mentioned Mr. and Mrs. Granger all that much, but when she had she had seemed rather depressed. Now at least, she was laughing.

She and Harry took turns with the horcrux and keeping watch throughout the day, but Harry was the one who said he would take the night watch. He preferred the silence, but there was the fact that he was wearing the horcrux that kept him up as well. He hated to sleep with it on, and Hermione had worn it throughout most of the day. As he sat on a stone outside the tent, he looked all over the forest area in which they hid. It was dense, snow blown, and yet most of the pathways were clearly visible through it. He was preparing to turn back to look the other way when he saw something shining nearby. It looked like a blurred white light, and as it neared him, Harry recognized it as a corporal patronus in the form of a doe. It got close enough to him so that Harry could make out what it was, and when he focused on it, the doe turned and slowly walked away; toward the thick line of trees to the east of where he had been sitting.

"Wait, come back!" Harry got up and kept a firm grip on his wand as he set out after the doe. It moved from a slow walk to a canter when he was near level with it, and Harry had to quicken his pace to keep the doe in sight. It easily led him away from the tent and the safety of the enchantments, but he didn't really care. It was odd to find a patronus out here in the middle of an empty forest; one that seemed intent on leading him somewhere. "Slow down!" He shouted as the doe continued its canter, but all it did was look back at him with a pleading look to continue following. This left him leaping over downed trees, moving past small valleys, and climbing over snow drifts to get to where the doe had finally stopped. When he reached it, the doe waited while Harry looked down on what it had led him to. It was what looked to be a watering hole that had frozen over in the winter's cold. Deep and narrow, it went down several feet.

"Lumos." Harry muttered as he aimed his wand down at the icy surface. The beam of light illuminated what appeared to be something silver and shining lying on the ground within the water. Narrowing his eyes he could just make out that it was the handle of… "The sword!" Harry exclaimed as he looked back up to the doe. It seemed to lower its beautiful head and wit that it disappeared. Harry then began removing his cloak, shirt, pants, boots, and socks until he stood there in his boxers. It would not do to have his clothes sopping wet in tis cold. He even removed the mokeskin from his neck and placed it safely within his cloak that lay folded on the snow.

"Diffindo." Harry used the severing charm to break the layer of ice and then dove into the hole. Icy water gripped him; burning as it surrounded his body. He could feel his chest tightening as he pushed himself forward, but there was something else. Something was pulling at his throat as he dove deeper into the hole. It was the horcrux; he had forgotten to take it off. The locket's chain tightened and pulled at his neck as he groped for the cold handle of the sword. His fingers were inches from its ruby-encrusted handle. As they grazed it however, he felt the chain tighten around his neck to the point where he could not breathe. Harry thrashed under the water in an attempt to claw at the chain as it cut into his neck. He could feel himself moving further from the sword, as if the locket was dragging him back up, but his foot hit solid ice. He whirled his head around so violently his neck snapped, and he saw that the ice was solid once more. Dizziness setting in, he could see small lights popping before his eyes and knew darkness was seconds behind it. Just as he felt his head drop, a rush of warmth moved past him and he could barely make out someone diving down past him for the sword.

He could see the sword being gripped tightly and the figure rising from the bottom, and within seconds, a powerful arm wrapped around him and pulled him upward as well. With a shower of orange sparks, the ice around the top shattered and allowed them enough space to get up and out of the hole easily. Harry was lifted and placed onto the snowy bank wile his companion hoisted themselves up out of the hole and laid the sword down. Coughing and sputtering, he reached blindly for his clotes only to have them thrown at him. When he managed to open his eyes again, he saw who had pulled him out.

"Ron…"

"Got to be bloody mental to dive into something like that, don't you?" Ron had managed to get out, dry himself off, and was sorting through Harry's clothes to make it easier to get them back on.

"How… How did you…"

"Hard to explain, really." Ron said as he handed Harry back the traveling cloak after carefully removing the mokeskin from it. "Went to Bill and Fleur's, seeing as I didn't know where Mum and Dad were. Bill didn't ask any questions, though I'm sure he was cross that I'd left." Ron started as he watched Harry perform a warming charm and throwing the cloak back over himself; safely tucking the mokeskin back under his shirt. "I wanted to come back as soon as I'd left, to be honest, but when I came back, you and Hermione had already left…"

"She waited a while, hoping you'd come back, you know." Harry offered as he pulled out the locket and held it out to Ron. "I think you should destroy this."

"I can't…" Ron admitted; looking down at the locket with nothing short of misery. "That thing affects me more than either of you, you know."

"That's exactly why you need to." Harry urged as he placed the locket down on the ground in front of Ron and handed him the sword. "Get rid of it and conquer it."

"Are you sure?" Ron hesitated as Harry looked down at the locket again. "What if I can't-"

"I know you can. You came back here, didn't you? What was the point of it if you can't do this?" Harry asked as he steadied himself. "I'm going to open it. Don't hesitate; just stab it."

"Alright…"

Harry focused on the snake on the face of the locket and spoke quietly. He recognized the hissing as parseltongue, and was able to command the locket to open. When it did, Harry could see the two small glass windows in it flogging up. He also heard that same screeching like metal on glass as he looked to Ron. Before he could say anything however, the voice that erupted from the locket was that of Voldemort, and Ron tensed up.

"I have seen your heart, Ronald Weasley, and it is mine." The voice hissed. It began changing as it continued, and Harry could hear his own voice speaking from the locket. "You were the son no one wanted. Your mother had hoped for a daughter, and you were a disappointment." To Harry and Ron's horror, a ghostly figure of himself rose from the locket as well as Hermione. They both stared at Ron. "Mrs. Weasley always said she would have preferred me to you as a son." The voice changed to that of Hermione as it continued taunting him. "Who would want you, when they could have him?" The figure of Hermione indicated that of Harry, and she floated toward him and kissed the ghostly Harry on the cheek. "Why would I want something as pathetic as you?"

"Kill it, Ron! It's lying!" Harry roared as his scar seared. "IT'S LYING!"

Ron hesitated again, and as the ghosts went to properly snogging in front of him, he raised the sword and brought it down hard when Hermione's eyes landed on him. Immediately, the images, voices, and squealing faded. The air around them got noticeably warmer, and there was the sound of metal on metal. Harry, whose scar had burned again, looked down at the locket to see its tiny glass windows cracked and ruined. White smoke seemed to be billowing out of it; vanishing in faint wisps around the locket's face. Harry then picked up the remains of the destroyed horcrux and pocketed it.

"Well done."

"Thanks, mate." Ron said as he went to join Harry on the walk back to the campsite where Hermione should still have been sleeping.

"So, how is it you found us?" Harry tried for simple conversation in attempt to keep things light. "Did you cast that doe patronus?"

"No..." Ron said looking rather confused. "I thought you'd done it."

"Mine's a stag, remember?"

"Oh, right." Ron looked down; slightly embarrassed. "I dunno who then. Hermione's isn't a doe... Anyway," He quickly changed subject as they headed back through the winding path. "I was at Bill and Fleur's when I clicked the deluminator that Dumbledore left." He pulled it out for good measure, but didn't click it. "Little ball of light appeared out of nowhere and just hovered there."

"Hovered there?" Harry asked. He had seen Ron play with it many times, but had never had it do that.

"Yeah. I waited to see if it would go into the lamp, but it didn't. It just floated there." Ron looked at the deluminator as if it was only just now happening. "Started hearing a voice, Hermione's voice, and then it just floated toward me; entered my chest." Ron motioned to his heart. "I knew what I had to do... Just apparated, and came out on a hillside. I looked around, but you weren't there."

"We were there before Godric's Hollow." Harry confirmed.

"Yeah, I clicked it again, and the ball of light appeared again. Did the same thing, so I apparated again. I wound up in Godric's Hollow, but some barmy old man said you two had just left; said Hermione was pulling you out of a tent when he saw you and you two just vanished after that."

"Yeah, we had to… You Know Who showed up and tried to kill me."

"So I clicked it again, and this time, it brought me here." Ron motioned to the wood around them. "Saw the doe and followed it and that was when I saw you kicking around back there like you were having a fit." He paused and looked at the deluminator with slight awe. "D'you think Dumbledore knew I'd leave or something?"

"Dunno."

By this time, they had gotten out of the thicker trees, and Harry saw the tent set up just a few yards away. Ron followed him but hung back slightly as they approached the opening. When he muttered something about Hermione's reaction, Harry jokingly said to retell the tale of how he got there but focus on the ball of light that touched his heart. Ron grinned, but he was still slightly unsure when Harry pulled the flap back and entered. Hermione was already waiting for them; sitting on her bed and repairing her own traveling cloak.

"Hermione, look what I found." Harry said as he pulled Ron into the tent. Hermione took one look at him and stepped forward with a pillow. She proceeded to beat Ron with it.

"How... Dare... You... Show... Your... Face... Again-" She paused between thumps with the pillow, and Harry stopped her from pulling it back again.

"Hermione, wait." He pulled out the locket and showed it to her. "He destroyed it." He clarified as Hermione just looked at the locket with confusion. Then Harry told her of the doe patronus and how it had led him to the sword, how Ron had pulled them both out successfully, and how Ron had overcome his issues with the horcrux to destroy it. That didn't quite ease Hermione's mood, but it did at least keep her from hitting him anymore with the pilow. She settled for asking him how he had gotten there. Ron recounted the story he had told Harry, and she paused in her hard stare as he mentioned her voice and the ball of light. At this, Harry couldn't suppress a grin, but Ron and Hermione's relationship didn't quite improve over the next few days. Hermione tolerated him, and Ron did his best to get back into her good graces. Still, it took a while for her to even start speaking to him.


	9. Capture

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Nine: Capture_

* * *

With Ron and Hermione on fragile speaking terms, the three remained in the forest of Dean for only a short while before packng everything and moving toward more familiar territory. They arrived just west of the Burrow on the hillside overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole early in the morning, and as they crossed the hill's peak, they could just see the house vanishing behind its orchard. Since she had seen the same symbol on Ignotus Peverell's grave, Hermione's curiosity had drawn her to the idea that they needed to return here to see the man that had first shown them that strange triangular sign; they were headed for the residence of Xenophilius Lovegood.

Moving further and further away from the burrow, Harry could see Ron looking over his shoulder, and he too had longed to see any sign of Arthur, Molly, the twins, or Ginny. Unfortunately, it made no sense for them to remain at their family home with Voldemort's people swarming around looking for them or any other blood traitors they could find. Hermione, on the other hand, was focused on the path ahead. She was keeping a mental note of what looked safe and what didn't, and Harry couldn't blame her. They hadn't been back into such familiar territory since they had left Grimmauld Place in October. He even found himself checking over his shoulder when he heard a particularly loud twig snap. As they neared the Lovegoods' however, he found himself relaxing slightly. They could tell the place belonged to Xenophilius because of all of the curious objects in the yard; that and their home looked like an enlarged castle from a chess set.

"Reckon we might run into Luna while we're here?" Ron asked as they approached the stone structure. "Be good to see a familiar face, yeah?"

"Won't run into her." Harry muttered as they saw Luna's father coming around the side of the house. Before he could explain why, Xenophilius spotted them and his eyes were wide.

"Who… Who are you!" He questioned as he moved swiftly for his front door. Harry managed to catch him before he slammed it in their faces.

"Mr. Lovegood, we met at the wedding, I'm Harry Potter."

"Oh… well…." Mr. Lovegood seemed to consider this for a moment before he motioned them in. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir," Hermione addressed him as she closed the door behind herself and Ron. "We were curious about something we saw. You were wearing something at the wedding, a symbol, and we wondered what it meant."

"Aah…" His eyes widened in understanding as he rummaged around in the kitchen they had just walked into. The entire floor was circular with a metal staircase leading up to the upper floors in the center. He had pulled out a tea tray and a few other things before he spoke again. "The mark of the Deathly Hallows."

"The what?" All three of the teenagers asked as Mr. Lovegood motioned them up to the second floor. In this room, they found a very cramped sitting room along with a sculpture of a very elegant woman with what looked like a piece of rubbish around her head. There was also the printing press that churned out copies of _The Quibbler_. Harry, Ron, and Hermione found seats on a couch and an armchair while Xenophilius tottered around the room with the tea tray. He handed each of them a cup of what didn't look like tea.

"The mark of the Deathly Hallows." He repeated as he finally took a seat opposite them. "You don't know what they are?"

"No…" Hermione said, and the others shook their heads in response.

"Are you three familiar with the Tale of the Three Brothers?"

"Yes." Hermione and Ron said together, while Harry shook his head.

"Ah, well then, you need to hear it." Mr. Lovegood said as he fumbled for something in a pile of books.

"It's alright, Mr. Lovegood. I have a copy." Hermione offered as she pulled the book Dumbldore had left her out of her bag.

"Is it the original?" He asked sharply, and Hermione opened the book and moved through the tales until she found the right one. When she got to it, she showed it to him. "Good. Why don't you read it, then?"

And Hermione read aloud from the book; telling of all three brothers and how they had "cheated" death. He had granted them all one gift, and the brothers asked for differentg ones in turn: The eldest brother wanted the most powerful wand, and Death fashioned him one from an Elder tree. The second brother wanted the ability to humiliate death further and bring people back from the deead, so death took a stone from the river and handed it to him. The last brother merely wanted to remain hidden from the world so that nothing, not even Death could find him. Death took off his cloak of invisibility and handed it over.

The first brother bragged of his powerful wand and killed a man with it. Drunk with power, he celebrated it and returned to his room happily drunk in an inn. Another man came and took the wand; slitting the eldest brother's throat for good measure. Death claimed the first brother for his own. The second brother used the resurrection stone to bring back a love from his past that had died much too young. For a time, he was happy, but she was not; for she did not belong in the living world. Depressed by this, the second brother killed himself to join her, and death claimed the second brother. The third, who had remained hidden for years to come, lived a long and pleasurable life of his choosing before finally shedding the cloak and handing it off to his son; he greeted Death as an old friend and they left this life as equals.

"So that is the story of the Deathly Hallows." Xenophilius said as he pulled a piece of parchment toward him. When he finally found a quill, he drew a vertical line. "The Elder Wand," He then drew a circle with the line passing through its center. "The Resurrection Stone," and finally, he drew a triangle around the circle so that its three sides barely touched the circle. "And the Cloak of Invisibility. These are the Deathly Hallows; together, they mae one the master of death."

"You don't believe the tale, do you?" Hermione asked; slightly skeptical. "There isn't a wand that can defeat any other, is there?"

"For those that believe, yes." Lovegood said matter-of-factly. He stood an pointed his wand at the printing press to make it stop shaking, and Hermione realized just what was behind him.

"Mr. Lovegood… What is that?" She pointed to a silver horn that jutted out from the wall.

"The horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorekack." Xenophilius announced proudly. "Very rare and quite useful."

"No… That's an Erumpent Horn…" Hermione said with a worried tone. "They're very temperamental and can explode at the slightest touch." While Xenophilius went on about how Hermione had to be mistaken, Hermione just let him rant, but she braced herself anyway. When Xenophilius finally calmed down, he mentioned something that Harry found odd.

"Of course you'll have to stay for dinner. Luna will be along any moment. I asked her to go down to the river. I will see to starting the cooking."

Harry waited until the man had headed back downstairs before he motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him upstairs to Luna's room. When they reached it, they stopped and stared. The room was bathed in pale blue, while the ceiling above them had very stunning painted pictures of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville with "Friends" woven between the pictures in gold; so fine it looked like chains. Harry thought the entire effect looked elegant and beautiful. When they had gotten over the initial amazement, Harry saw that the room looked quite unoccupied; like Luna hadn't been here since she had left for school. "Something's wrong." He said, and it got the others' attention.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked; still looking around the room with a slight pleasant smile on her face.

"Luna's not here." Harry said. "McGonagall said no student was to leave the school except for a Hogsmeade trip planned a few days ago. Look around; she hasn't been here."

"Ah, there you are." Mr. Lovegood had returned, but he was still holding no tea tray or dinner. He was looking at them with a slight crazed look. "Come, Luna will be in shortly."

"Sir, where is Luna?" Harry asked, while descending the stairs reluctantly. "You say she is outside?" When Xenophilius nodded, Harry looked to Ron and Hermione. "How can she be, Sir? No one was allowed to leave Hogwarts."

"No… No, she had to leave. They made her." Xenophilius stammered. "She will be along any moment."

"Right…" Ron said as he made up his mind. "Well, we really can't afford to stay. Things to do, you know?" He made to head down the stairs toward Xenophilius. "We'll catch up with Luna outside, then."

"NO!" The man looked positively mad as he threw his arms out on either side of is body to stop Ron's progress. "I insist!"

"Luna's not here is she, Mr. Lovegood?" Hermione asked. Her tone suggested she was a mother talking down to a child who had just bold-faced lied to her. "She's not here, and you have no clue where she is, do you?"

"They took my Luna." Xenophilius said this quietly as if muttering to himself. "They took her away because of what I had been writing…Because I supported you." He pointed a long pale finger at Harry. "I have to get her back-"

"But you're not using us to do it." Ron said coldly. Harry however, questioned Luna's father further.

"Who took her, Sir?"

"Took her from Hogwarts…"

"Who?" Harry asked again. He knew it was a mistake the second he had done it.

"Voldemort." There was a rush of wind outside, and Harry could see the dark figures appearing on the lawn through the window. Death eaters had been summoned to their location because Xenophilius had used the name. The rumor was true; it would alert them of your current location. Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew their wands, but Hermione stopped Ron from stunning Lovegood quickly.

"No! We can't fire spells from here!" She motioned to the horn that jutted out from the wall. "The Erumpent horn! It will explode!"

"Up there!" A voice called from downstairs, and Xenophilius turned to meet the five men that were moving for the metal staircase. "You said the name!"

"I have him!" Xenophilius cried and as he pointed back toward the room above, one of the death eaters attacked with a stunner that went just past Lovegood's ear. When it crashed into the wall behind him, the erumpent horn exploded, sending dust, debris, and bits of everything else into the air. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved away as the second stunner hit the windowpane nearest them adding glass to the dusty air. Over the falling ceiling, they heard Xenophilius' voice again. "I have Harry Potter, he is right behind me!"

"You're barking!" One of the death eaters, Harry recognized as Walden Macnair, shouted. "Why would Potter be here!"

"Harry, over here." Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. "We need to let them see you."

"Are you mad?" Ron asked as he kept an eye on the stairs. When the erumpent horn had exploded, it had blown the printing press over the railing and was blocking the stairs along with a decent piece of the wall nearest. Xenophilius was trying rather clumsily to clear the way so that he and the death eaters could get up to the second floor landing. "They'd try and catch him-"

"Exactly." Hermione said quickly. "Otherwise, Mr. Lovegood will be killed."

"Do it." Harry said quickly. He saw Hermione retrieve the invisibility cloak from her bag and throw it over herself and Ron.

"Time to make an explosive exit." She said as she aimed her wand at the pile of rubble that included Xenophilius' printing press. "Confringo!"

With all of the noise just below them, the death eaters didn't seem to hear Hermione actually cast the explosive jinx; instead, they kept trying t push past Mr. Lovegood to get to the upper floor. When the printing press was suddenly sent toward them, the two death eaters and Xenophilius were sent toppling over and down the metal spiraled staircase. This left Hermione and Ron just enough time to move down and secure the door while Harry made sure he was seen by Macnair and the others. When they spotted him, they all pointed and stared for a moment before another death eater shouted "Get him!". This sent the group into something of a panic, and they all went to tripping over one another to get to him through the dust and debris still falling from above. Once Harry was sure Xenophilius was out of the way, he rejoined Ron and Hermione who were waiting for him just outside the door. The three remained huddled under the cloak and got far enough away to disapparate without being noticed. Ron gripped the arms of the other two and quickly disapparated, leaving the death eaters, Mr. Lovegood, and the remains of his house far behind.

The three landed in a lightly wooded path that led to an open field. Harry found the scene rather pleasant, seeing snowy mountains behind the clearing. They made it past the thinning pines and Hermione rummaged in her bag for the tent and other necessities while Ron began the enchantments. He managed to get the protection charm in place before he started raging. Harry assisted with the rest.

"Can you believe that old git?" Ron asked as Harry cast muffliato around them. "I mean, he could have gotten us all killed saying the name!"

"Can you blame him, Ron?" Hermione had managed to open her bag and start looking through it as she spoke. "Luna was taken... I imagine he'd do anything to get her back; seeing as she's all he has left." Unfortunately, she didn't have the opportunity to say more. At that moment, they heard a drawling voice from behind them.

"Hello, beau'iful."

"Go!" Hermione shouted as she sent an impediment jinx just behind her that stopped the intruder's approach. The three bolted; running as fast as they could, but there were multiple feet pounding behind them. Harry heard the snarling of one of their pursuers; he recognized it as that of Fenrir Greyback. He did not chance a look back though; the death eaters had only seen Hermione from the back and had not seen any of their faces. She had been quick enough to not indicate who any of them were. Ron had noticed this, and he too was staring forward.

"Come back, lovely!" The one man called. Harry wasn't sure if he was a snatcher or one of Voldemort's supporters, but at this point he didn't care. "Don't want to hurt you, now do we?" His tone suggested he didn't want to put forth the effort to run or he had something else in mind.

Spells were being cast at them, and no one chanced a look back. They all just hoped that they could hear the rush of wind that came with the spell or jinx and use that to dodge them. While this worked for a time, one knockback jinx hit Harry square in the back; causing him to topple over face first in the snow. Ron made the mistake of looking back, and one hit him in the leg. Hermione was about to be grabbed by the man who had taunted her, but she tripped him by kicking backwards. This gave her just enough time to aim a quick stinging jinx at Harry with her wand. She screamed as the man grabbed her, but it was only a cover to mask Harry's shout of surprise and pain as his face swelled up and reacted to her jinx. When the other two had pinned Ron and himself down as well, Harry heard Greyback laughing as he addressed the one with Hermione.

"Who you reckon that one is?" He asked as he pulled Harry up off of the ground and forced him to stand. Harry's face was still smarting, and he could barely see Hermione from where his eyes were nearly swollen shut.

"Dunno, do I?" The snatcher, who had an impish face and long dark hair that hung around it sneered; revealing rather yellow teeth. "Who's that you got there? Ugly, inne?"

"What happened to your face, you? What's your name?" Greyback glared at Harry while getting so close that the scent of sweat and blood filled Harry's nostrils; it was so overbearing it nearly made him sick.

"Dudley..." Harry said the first name he could think of. "Vernon Dudley."

"Blood status?"

"Pureblood." Harry muttered. He wanted to get this brute off of him as soon as possible before he vomited. "Father works at the Ministry." It was a clear lie, but he tried to sound convincing.

"And your house?"

"Slytherin." It was the best of answers, and Harry was sure they had heard it before. As soon as he said it, the snatcher with Ron struggling against him laughed.

"Second time we've heard that, eh?" He turned to Harry and had a rather stern look on his face. "They all say it, but not one of 'em knows where our common room was-"

"It's in the dungeons; big open chamber with green lamps overhead."

"There's a good lad." The snatcher with Hermione grinned. "You know, Greyback, I think there is a Dudley workin' in the Ministry. Reckon we've got his boy?"

"Dunno." Growled Greyback, still not letting Harry go. His eyes were fixed on Ron. "Reckon I know what family he's in; One of them Weasleys." He turned his wild eyes back to Harry. "If you're a pureblood Slytherin, what are you doin' hanging around with that sort?"

"Hang on..." The one with Ron, who had still been wearing a stern expression, said in a slow tone. "I reckon I know who this lot is." He looked from Ron to Hermione. "Yeah... They're the two with Potter. I bet the one callin' himself Dudley is..."

"Nah." The one who had Hermione said slowly. "Don't reckon it's Harry Potter..." He had already taped his wand on Hermione's shoulder rather hard and thick cords had erupted from it and bound her so that she couldn't move. He was preparing to pull her bag from her rigid shoulder when he saw it was tucked under her arm protectively. "Got somethin' in here you want to hide, lovely?"

"Yeah..." Greyback had been looking from Harry to Ron and then Hermione before he finally spoke again. "That's probably the mudblood, Granger. Don't think we'll be taking these to the ministry." He used the same method of binding as the one holding Hermione, and heavy cords flew around Harry's shoulders, arms, torso, legs, and ankles. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron being subjected to the same thing. Greyback grabbed Harry roughly by his arm and looked to the others. "Get them. Think we'll be taking them in for a bigger reward."

It seemed that the snatchers knew exactly what Greyback meant, because they each gripped the hostages' arms and turned on their heels to disapparate. Greyback did the same, and Harry had a terrible feeling he knew where they were going. He had seen flashes of the place off and on throughout the year, and he had seen Charity Burbage killed there during the previous summer. When Harry felt the compressing feeling release, hhe saw iron gates with an ornate "M" on them. Greyback pulled Harry along as he moved forward and opened the gate. He strode up the path and didn't flinch when an albino peacock crossed the path in a flourish of movement. Reaching the ornate doors, he took a rough hand and banged it against the wooden door; the sound echoed loudly in the stillness. It was only now that Harry had a moment to look around and see all of the snatchers. The two he had noticed before had Ron and Hermione, but there were two others: One had Dean Thomas, and the other had Griphook, the Gringotts goblin. Sharing a look with Dean, Harry realized he was just as worried as the rest. Griphook however, looked to be unconscious. He heard the door open with a bang, and he wasn't surprised to see Narcissa Malfoy answer it. She was tall, fair, blonde, and under more pleasant conditions, would have been rather beautiful. The look of revulsion on her face as she regarded Greyback ruined that.

"Found these lurkin' around the forest; thought we might bring them here. We think one of 'em's Potter." Greyback motioned to the other snatchers and their quarry. Harry's eyes were on Narcissa, but they quickly moved when another woman came to the door; this one Harry knew all too well. Tall, thin, long dark hair that fell in ringlets around her face; the heavily-lidded eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange landed on him. She spoke before her sister had a chance.

"Bring them inside." She ordered. She and Narcissa stepped back to let them pass, and Harry avoided looking Bellatrix in the eye. The other snatchers trooped in after Greyback, and they were all brought into something of a foyer. The one holding Hermione had managed to wrestle her bag out of her arm, but as he went to open it, Bellatrix spoke again. "Go into the drawing room. Get Draco." The snatcher that had fiddled with Hermione's bag grudgingly agreed and left for a room down the way. When he returned, he had Lucius Malfoy and Draco following. "Good. Greyback, take their wands and hand them over. I see no reason for them to have them anymore, do you?"

Greyback was rough as he reached in Harry's pocket and pulled out his wand. He then went to Ron, Hermione, and Dean in turn; removing their wands before reluctantly handing them over to Narcissa. Once that was out of the way, Bellatrix looked over the four humans and goblin. Her eyes rested on Ron for a moment, and Harry knew that she knew whose family he belonged to. He was also sure that she recognized Hermione as well. When her gaze fell on Harry again, her mouth split into a wide grin. She reached out a hand and touched his face, while careful to ensure her long nails scratched it as she went on.

"And what happened to this one?" She looked him over again, and let out a cackle of laughter. "Ooh looks like someone was hit with a stinging jinx… Let's have their wands, Cissy! Let's see just what their last spells were!" She sounded absolutely thrilled as she said this, and Harry had that feeling of dread passing through him. She would see that Hermione's last was the stinging jinx. Before she got the chance to do it however, one of the snatchers had successfully opened Hermione's bag and had pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of it. He was examining it when Bellatrix urged Draco forward. "Go on, Draco; have a look." She pushed hi forward slightly so that he was only maybe a foot from Harry. "That's Potter, isn't it…" She asked in a not-so-sweet voice. "Go on, that's his friends! You know that's a Weasley-"

"I'm…" Draco hesitated as he looked all of them over. His eyes rested on Harry for a moment before he went on. "I'm not sure."

"Draco," Lucius spoke in a hoarse voice just short of a whisper. "Draco, think of it… If we were the ones to turn him over to the Dark Lord, everything will be as it was-"

"I don't think we'll be forgetting who actually caught him." Greyback began, but Bellatrix snarled at him and fired a few angry red sparks from her wand in a threatening notion.

"Get out!" She roared at the werewolf and snatchers. "Draco, take a proper look! It's him!"

"I can't be sure… on any of them." Draco said flatly as he walked away and stood by his mother. Harry didn't know what to think as he watched this. "I mean… that one" He pointed to Ron. "That one looks like a Weasley, but…"

"Look at this…" One of the snatchers held Gryffindor's sword and was turning its hilt in his hands. "Could get a lot of gold for this, I could."

"GET OUT!" Bellatrix bellowed and the snatcher dropped the sword. It was only then that she noticed what he had been talking about. Snatching it from the floor, she glared at it and then at the four fugitives. "Where… Where did you get this!"

"Was in her b-bag!" The one snatcher stammered as he was backing away toward the exit. "That one, the girl!"

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix whisper was deadly as she pointed her wand at Hermione. She then turned on her heel and grabbed Hermione's wand from Narcissa. For a second, Harry thought Draco's mother was about to say something in retort, but she didn't. Bellatrix tapped the wand with her own and there was an echo of the last spell cast. When she saw it, her eyes sparked madly. "Not only are you an idiot for trying to disguise him…" She pointed her wand at Harry, and the jinx was reversed; revealing his true face. "But you're also a no-good mudblood thief!"

Harry chanced a look at Draco and Narcissa. Both of them didn't seem all that surprised that he was actually who Greyback claimed. Their expressions hadn't changed, but Lucius' had. He had a triumphant smirk as he reached for his forearm. Bellatrix stopped him quickly. She was still pointing her wand at Hermione as she glared at her brother-in-law.

"You would be a fool to call him now! We know it's him, but I want answers before he gets here!" She pointed to Ron, Harry, Dean, and Griphook and shouted: "Put the boys in the cellar! I want a word with this one.. Girl to girl." She grabbed Hermione's shoulder and pulled her back into the drawing room while ropes were loosened so that the boys could be forced downstairs. The quivering and hunched form of Wormtail emerged to force them away from the drawing room and into the cellar. While they were being led down, they could hear the screaming of Hermione as Bellatrix interrogated her. She kept saying she had never been in the vault, but Bellatrix wouldn't have any of it. It got to the point where they couldn't hear her all that much when they reached the cellar, and Wormtail shoved them all in without a word and slammed the door. In total darkness, Harry could hear Ron struggling with his bonds.

"We've got to get back up there!" He started, and Harry had to agree, but there was no way at the moment. "Got to stop her!"

"Ron?" A voice called from somewhere nearby, and Harry was thankful to recognize it.

"Luna?" He asked while Ron still struggled. "Luna, what are you doing here?"

"They brought me here just before Christmas. Feels like I've been here for ages…" Luna said quietly, but her voice got louder as he listened. It seemed she was coming closer. "Here, Ron. This will get you out of that. It's a rusted nail we found down here a week or so ago."

"We?" Harry asked, and as he did, Ron seemed to succeed in getting his hands free. "Ron, get the deluminator. See if it can get some light in here."

"Err… Right." Ron took a few minutes to get a few more cords off before he reached into his pocket and withdrew Dumbledore's deluminator. Clicking it, he saw a few balls of brilliant light fly out of it and hover in the air. They illuminated the room like four small suns shining down. From that point, Harry could see the others: Dean was not far from Ron, who was beside him. Griphook was to Harry's left, and Luna was just in front of him now. Still a few feet away, she was looking at the small orbs of light above; her blonde hair looking almost platinum in their light. Then, there was another figure. Across the room, an old man, who looked to be no more than skin and bone was in a crumpled heap on the floor; Harry's stomach lurched when he realized that this was Garrick Ollivander. Ron finished hacking the cords off and handed the nail to Harry, who began working furiously to get himself free. Though they had been made a bit more loose to make it easier for them to be led down here, it still took time to get through each one. When he had managed to get free, he handed off the long nail to Ron who passed it to Dean.

"Is he alright?" Ron asked; indicating Ollivander, and Luna shook her head.

"He needs help, but they don't care, or they're ordered not to under threats of torture." She said offhandedly as Harry was fumbling with the mokeskin that none of the death eaters or snatchers had time to notice. Reaching into it, he felt something sharp and thought it was the end of his quill, but as he looked at it, he swore he saw a blue eye again, as he had earlier in the summer. Pausing for a moment, he handed it to Ron so that he could see the eye for one split second. Apparently Ron did, because he muttered "Ruddy hell… Sure could use his help right now…" before nearly dropping the corner of the mirror. Harry however, had found his quill and the parchment scroll he was looking for. He just managed to hurriedly write down a short message before he heard movement upstairs again and Bellatrix' scream.

 _"_ _Captured. At Malfoy Manor."_

"Get the goblin!"

"Griphook!" Harry hissed into the goblin's ear. He seemed to just be listening carefully. Harry had seen his eyes twitch when the deluminator was used. "Griphook, you need to tell them the sword is a fake. Do you hear me?" He added as the goblin moved slightly. "Tell her the sword is a fake and that the real one is still in her vault!" At that point, they heard footsteps, and Harry was thankful he had managed to roll the parchment and quill up and place them back into the mokeskin while talking to Griphook. He motioned for the others to get back against the wall, out of sight, and muttered to Ron to put out the lights. When that was done and the cellar was returned to its normal musty darkness, the door opened and they could all see the white-blonde hair of Draco Malfoy as he entered.

"Don't try anything…" He warned; holding his wand out for good measure. No one moved as he slowly entered the room. His expression suggested that he didn't want to be there at all. "Where's the goblin?"

"Right there, to your right." Harry said quietly as he looked over toward Griphook. He couldn't see the goblin in the dark, but Harry hoped that he had heard what he had asked of him. Malfoy reached out blindly and took the goblin's shoulder. He pulled him toward the door and got him walking up the stairs ahead. When he closed the door, Ron clicked the deluminator again, but there was a _crack_ rather than a light "click". When the balls of light came out and hovered in the air, they revealed a newcomer. Standing in the middle of the room was a small figure with bat-like ears and large tennis ball shaped eyes.

"Dobby!" Ron and Harry said in surprise as the elf blinked for a moment before dropping into a deep bow. Ron recovered first and stepped forward to shake the elf's hand in a delighted greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter and his friends, Sir." Dobby said to Ron. "Dobby heard that Harry Potter was here and he wanted to help."

"You don't know how happy we are to see you, Dobby…" Harry said quietly so as not to alert the death eaters and snatchers upstairs. A sudden thought hit him though. "Hang on, can you apparate and disapparate out of here?"

"Yes, Sir. Dobby is an elf. He has done it before, Sir." Harry almost smacked himself in response; of course he had done it before… This was the house of his former masters. "Dobby can get Harry Potter and his friends out of here."

"Can you take Mr. Ollivander, Luna, and Dean out first?" Ron asked as he eyed the door to the cellar. "There's something we need to do before we leave."

"Of course." Dobby went toward the still unconscious Ollivander while Dean and Luna followed. Once Dobby had a gentle but secure grip on the wandmaker, he offered his hand to Luna and Dean. Dean took hold of his arm while Luna took his offered hand.

"Take them to Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth. It's where my brother Bill is." Ron said quickly."

"Whenever you're ready, Sir." Luna addressed Dobby with a smile, and Dobby nearly fell over.

"Sir… I like this one. Dobby has never been called "Sir" before…" The elf made sure the three were secure, and looked to Harry and Ron. "Meet Dobby at the top of the stairs in ten minutes." With that, he disapparated with another _crack_ ; leaving Harry and Ron to hear Bellatrix' shriek again. This time it was in frustration and not so much an order. Ron gritted his teeth and was prepared to try and break down the door, but Harry stopped him.

"No." He pulled Ron back. "Think about it; if they hear a commotion down here, they could hurt Hermione-"

"Didn't you hear them up there, Harry?" Ron asked in frustration. "They've already hurt her-"

"You know what I mean!" Harry snapped. He only had time to say that when they heard Lucius' raised voice.

"Get the boy! It is time we summoned the Dark Lord!" There was a scurrying of feet from above, leaving Harry and Ron seconds to flatten themselves against the wall and put out the lights. When the door opened again, Harry saw the wild eyes and slightly buck teeth of Wormtail as he entered the room. He reached out to wrap a hand around Harry's arm, and Harry decided to try something.

"Don't do it, you coward." He said threateningly. When Wormtail froze momentarily, Harry continued. "Don't forget that you owe me your life. I stopped Sirius and Remus from killing you that night in the Shrieking Shack." With that, Wormtail stopped and lowered his wand, which he had previously had trained on Harry. When he did however, the silver hand that had been a gift from his master went straight to his throat, dragging his arm along with it. The fingers closed, and Wormtail realized just what he had done. In betraying his master for one second and showing mercy, he was paying the ultimate price. Harry and Ron watched as the silver hand closed tighter and tighter around the man's throat; his eyes were bulging and there was a wet hissing sound coming out of him as he tried to breathe. Harry heard what sounded like the cracking of Styrofoam peanuts as Wormtail's hand finally succeeded in strangling him. His body hit the floor, and his wand clattered and rolled away; it was promptly snatched up by Harry.

Casting one last look at the man who had betrayed his parents, Harry headed up the stairs with Ron hot on his heels. They could hear Hermione's screams getting louder, and as they rounded the corner to get back into the foyer, they could hear Bellatrix shouting at the goblin. She kept asking him again and again if the sword was stolen from her vault in Gringotts, but the goblin didn't seem to give her the answer she was looking for. They heard the sound of someone smacking another, and it was assumed that Bellatrix had just struck Griphook or Hermione for lack of cooperation. Either way, that was about to be ended. Harry rounded the corner and could see Narcissa and Draco standing several feet from Lucius, who was holding the goblin up by his underarms.

"Tell me again, Goblin." Bellatrix snarled. "Was this sword stolen from my vault!"

"Will you allow me to examine it…" The goblin finally managed quietly as Lucius was prepared to drop him.

"Why would I do that?"

"It can be a fake." Griphook muttered. "There have been several attempts to remake the sword, and all have failed. I can tell you if your property was stolen if you will allow mw to examine it." At this, Bellatrix reached out with the sword in her hands, but she did not let it go. Harry could see Griphook running his fingers along the metal of the sword, and he hoped that the goblin would not let his expression give him away… Then again, he also hoped that Griphook would indeed say that the sword was a fake. When Griphook's eyes returned to Bellatrix', he shook his head. "The sword is a fake, Madam Lestrange. The real one is still secure in your vault at Gringotts."

"So where did the mudblood get this one, then?" Lucius snarled at the goblin. Harry and Ron didn't need telling that this was as good a time as ever to make their move. Stepping out, Ron used the deluminator to put out any light in the drawing room. Everything but the fireplace went out, and there was a flurry of movement. Harry, who had kept an eye on where Draco and Narcissa had gone, raised Wormtail's wand and concentrated on disarming them. In that instant, two wands flew into the air, and Ron caught them just before they hit the floor. Harry then muttered "Accio wands." His, Hermione's, Ron's and Dean's all came flying from the pocket of Narcissa's long dark robes. Harry caught them and pocketed Hermione's and Deans while handing Ron back his own. The two then moved into the drawing room and were prepared to attack the death eaters that were searching for them, but they heard a sound overhead. It was that of glass coming into contact with metal. The jingling got louder, and as they looked up, Harry just saw the firelight glinting off of a now very unstable chandelier. He squinted and searched for Hermione and Griphook. He could just make out the point of the goblin's nose when the chandelier came crashing down. Reaching blindly, he gripped the arm of the goblin and pulled him out of the way while he just barely saw Ron doing the same with Hermione. The glass and iron splintered as it hit the floor, and there were several shrieks of pain. Ron, who had been trying to keep Hermione from cclawing at him, accidentally hit the deluminator and released the light back into the room.

"You!" Bellatrix roared as she recovered, but as she drew her wand, she was lifted off of her feet and thrown backwards; wand clattering to the floor. When Harry looked around to see who had done it, he was surprised to see Dobby standing there again. The elf held Bellatrix' wand in his hand and was shaking with fury.

"You shall not harm Harry Potter!"

"You filthy little…" Bellatrix stammered as she recovered from the sudden attack. "How DARE you steal a witch's wand!" How dare you attack your masters!"

"Dobby has no master!" The elf shrieked in response. His eyes were narrowed and free hand was curled into a fist. "Dobby is a free elf, and he has come to rescue Harry Potter and his friends!" With that, he sent the large table that Professor Burbage had floated over during the summer hurtling toward Bellatrix and Lucius. The two barely had a fraction of a second to get out of the way, but Lucius was hit in the shoulder and knocked to the floor.

"You dare attempt to kill-"

"Dobby never meant to kill… He only wished to maim!" The elf squeaked in triumph as he moved back toward Harry, Hermione and Ron. The three had managed to back away toward the main door to the house, and Harry had kept a close eye on all of those involved. He took the wands of Draco and Narcissa from Ron's free hand and pitched them back to their owners before gripping Dobby's hand tightly. Both Malfoy and his mother looked momentarily stunned by this, but Harry didn't give them a second look. Instead, he nodded to Dobby, while Ron stuffed the sword back into Hermione's bag and slung it over his shoulder. The elf turned on the spot and was disapparating when Bellatrix threw a dagger that she had been threatening Hermione with earlier. It sailed through the air, and Harry managed to turn slightly so that the blade sank into his arm instead of its intended target.


	10. Godfathers and Gringotts

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Ten: Godfathers and Gringotts_

* * *

There was a rush of wind so loud it was as if he was flying. His hand gripped something long and slender, and he could not find it within himself to let go. Looking down, he could see water and land rushing past him in gray/green blurs. His destination was close, and he was excited; why, he had no idea. A stone tower flashed before him, and the form of an old man; he wore what looked to be tattered grey robes that were hanging off of his slight but not too thin frame. His face split into a grin when their eyes met.

"I knew you would come…" The man's eyes were glittering in excitement as he looked up and revealed rather rotten teeth. "I knew you would search for and eventually find me… I no longer have it."

"Tell me, Grindelwald…" The high-pitched and cold voice of Voldemort echoed as if from far away. "You know where it is… Tell me."

"You will fail in your attempt to control it…"

"Tell me where it is!"

"It lies in the ground, buried with its master…" The man's words were still sharp and clear. "It lies with him… Dumbledore."

* * *

The rushing sound started again, and there were trees, mountains, oceans, all whirling past him in a blur of grey, blue, and white. It was not the rushing of wind he heard now however; it was the pulsing of waves crashing against the shore. Salt filled the air, cold spray and wind hit him and his arm was suddenly ablaze with pain. Harry opened his eyes to see sand, rock that had been washed smooth by the sea, and Dobby looking up at him with tears streaming down his face. He could also see Ron and Hermione not far away. Both of them were getting up from the ground; the latter a bit shakily, but they headed for him. Looking down, Harry saw the source of his pain; Bellatrix' dagger had easily gone deep into his arm and was still there with blood seeping through his sleeve and out onto the white sand around him.

"BILL!" Ron's shout was the first thing he heard after being grounded back into his own head. Harry couldn't move his arm and he didn't want to. The pain was nearly unbearable and he felt as if the arm was made of lead anyway.

"Harry Potter saved Dobby…" The elf whispered as his voice was not strong enough to speak properly. He was clearly choked with emotion. "Harry Potter risked his own life to save Dobby…"

"I'd do it again." Harry managed as he used his free hand to squeeze Dobby's shoulder gently. He could hear people running toward them and when he finally broke eye contact with the elf, Harry saw Bill, Fleur, Dean, and Luna. Fleur had seen the injury first and was already conjuring medical supplies and summoning what she couldn't. Bill had gotten to him first and was looking at the dagger with wide eyes.

"Harry, what happened!" The dagger was obvious, and Bill pointed that out. "Looks like that smarts a bit, but how did you lot get captured? Dean told us where you ended up..."

"I think we just wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time." Ron said quickley. He had also had the presence of mind to grab hod of Griphook before they had disapparated. The goblin was sitting not too far away. "We had just left from..." He remembered that Luna was there, and thought before he spoke. "From talking to Xenophilius Lovegood when we got to that clearing. As soon as we got there..."

"Snatchers were there already." Dean said. "Griphook and I were separated from Ted and the other goblin. The one man was captured, but Ted got away."

"It will 'urt." Fleur addressed Harry as she began working on his arm. She closed a hand around the dagger and watched as Harry nodded in understanding.

"Do it." Harry braced himself; he saw Ron and Hermione looking rather pale as Fleur steadied her hand and withdrew the dagger in a swift but precise jerk. The blade came clean out of Harry's arm and left a gaping hole that Fleur began wrapping tightly.

"Had to be done, mate." Bill said as he helped get Harry to his feet. "Rather move without that thing getting knocked around while still in your arm." He and Fleur started toward the cottage with him while Dean and Luna assisted Griphook; Ron and Hermione bringing up the rear with Dobby. Bill continued talking as he reached the front path. "Welcome to Shell Cottage by the way. Fleur and I live here while also keeping it a safehouse for the Order."

"Fidelius charm?" Harry asked as they made their way to the kitchen where Fleur began unwrapping his arm and put several drops of a blue potion on it. At first it stung terribly, but a blissful numbness set in, and he relaxed.

"Yeah. I'm secret keeper." Bill nodded. He motioned for the others to head on into the sitting room. "Mr. Ollivander is upstairs. Good that you got Dobby to bring him here, Harry. He might not have made it…"

"How bad?" Harry asked it just to keep the conversation going on something rather than looking at his arm.

"Terrible." Fleur said as she performed a few spells over the hole to ensure that there had been no poison in the dagger's blade. "He was tortured in many ways…" At that comment, Harry had to really suppress the urge to say that he knew. He had seen Voldemort using the cruciatus curse on Mr. Ollivander several times and had some experience with it himself.

"Yeah, he's still unconscious." Bill added as he prepared to leave the kitchen. "We'll be in the sitting room when you two are done here."

Thankfully, it did not take long to at least get Harry's arm sorted and bandaged. It would still take time for it to heal properly, but that didn't matter. It would, given Harry didn't over-exert it. When he and Fleur entered the sitting room, they found the others just talking and keeping the silence away. Luna spotted Harry first and made room for him on the large sofa. He sat down between her and Ron while Fleur headed upstairs to check on Ollivander and Griphook, whom Luna and Dean had escorted up when they came in. Harry could feel all eyes on him, and he couldn't avoid looking up after so long. When he did, Bill spoke again.

"Mum's been in contact a few times since we all had to leave the Burrow. She is worried about you three; knowing that you've been out on your own. I'll spare you the conversation I had with her and just say this: Whatever you are planning to do from here on, be damned careful. From what I've understood, the death eaters are getting more and more paranoid."

"They should be." Dean commented as he checked a good-sized bruise on his arm from where one of the snatchers had plowed him into the ground. "Think about it, Harry just escaped the Malfoys, Greyback, and Bellatrix Lestrange. You Know Who won't be too pleased with them."

"That reminds me…" Ron said suddenly as he shifted to look at Harry more directly. "Back at Malfoy Manor, why in the ruddy hell did you toss them back their wands?"

"Dunno." Harry really didn't know just why he had. There had been a reason forming in his head when he had tossed them back to Narcissa Malfoy, but it hadn't become completely clear. Thinking back on the situation, he realized just why he had. "Ron, Malfoy knew it was us." He motioned to himself, Ron, and Hermione. "Draco knew it was us and he didn't say anything."

"So you gave them back their wands for that?"

"I don't think they wanted any part of it." Harry defended his own actions here. It was still odd for him to do something decent for a man who had been a git to him throughout all of his Hogwarts years, but Harry couldn't just keep the wands for spite. "You saw their reactions when Bellatrix performed the counter jinx; They weren't surprised at all. Besides," he finished with a slightly raised eyebrow. "What were we going to do with the wands anyway; snap them when we got here?"

"Two fewer to be used against us later on." Ron said quietly, but Harry could see the slight understanding growing in his face.

"You gave them their wands back?" Hermione spoke for the first time since they had gotten away from the Malfoys and Bellatrix. Her eyes were set on Harry now, and he didn't like the look she was giving him. "You gave them back when all they did was stand there and do nothing while…"

"What could they have done, Hermione?" Harry had to ask it, but he could feel a knot forming in his throat. It was probably true that those two just stood there while Bellatrix cursed Hermione and threatened her with the same dagger that had been used on him unintentionally. "I mean, I know how-"

"No, you don't know how I would feel about it." Hermione said somewhat coldly. Ron looked between her and Harry in slight alarm. He wasn't sure what to do about this. "You don't know…"

"I know what it feels like to be tortured and to be powerless to do nothing to stop it." Harry said, and he got up from the sofa and walked toward the door. As he pulled it open, he felt the cold sea breeze hit him; it had the potential to change his mind about walking out for a moment, but he went on anyway. He didn't much want to look at anyone right now. For some reason, he was starting to get angry, and there was no reason for it. Stepping out onto the grassy lawn, he heard the crunch of snow, and wasn't surprised to see it falling around him. It was still the dead of winter, and even with the salty environment, the snow was still gathering on the ground. Wrapping his cloak tighter around him, he didn't hear the door close quietly behind him. He swore aloud at the sea ahead, and nearly jumped when he heard a response.

"I can understand why you're angry." It was Luna who had followed him out into the cold. Harry turned on his heel and looked her over, but he didn't see the slightly "off" girl he had come to know. Luna seemed more serious, but it didn't replace her kindness. "You're still dealing with the fact that everything you do seems to have a negative effect."

"I suppose." He could still feel the anger rising, but it wasn't taking over like it had been about to. It was as if it was in the background; building up a wall that could crash down on him at any moment. "Everything we do seems to come back and blow up in our faces in some way."

"I think you did the right thing." Harry felt as if Luna were worlds away from him at that point. Her voice was distant while the bitterly cold sea air blew into his face. Her words however, were clear. "Giving them back their wands when they hadn't done anything to you."

"Draco's been a prat, but I dunno…." He looked out over the crashing waves and frowned. "Was it a good thing to hand over their wands? What if Ron's right; that they'll just turn against us…"

"I don't think so." Luna stepped closer, and with each step, Harry could feel his own anger ebbing away. "My mum always said that for every good deed done, another will be paid you in time."

"I hope she was right." He said as he turned to look at her. They had discussed her mother before, and from what Harry knew, she had been a bright and powerful witch. Perhaps with that came wisdom; he wasn't sure. "Any ideas on what to do from here?"

"From what I heard, Bellatrix Lestrange was very angry at the thought that you might have been in her vault."

"Of course…" It hit him like a lumbering troll. Bellatrix had been almost petrified into hysterics at the thought of them being in her vault at Gringotts. What could she be hiding there? Could it be another horcrux? Thinking of mentioning this to Ron and Hermione, Harry stopped. After what had happened just a few minutes ago, he decided to let Hermione cool off before speaking to her. "Luna, you're brilliant. She assumed we'd found something there; something aside from the sword." He decided to change gears there, though. Instead of mentioning the horcruxes, he thought of what the future held for Luna and Dean. They couldn't join them, but would it be safe to go back to Hogwarts? "What will you do now; go back home, on the run, or back to Hogwarts?"

"I'm not sure." This sounded like the Luna Harry remembered. She had that airy tone to her voice again. "I thought of going back to the castle."

"It's not the same, you know? As it was before, I mean."

"Neither am I." She said with a cryptic smile. With that, Luna headed back inside, but she was replaced by Ron. He had finally come out and was passing her as she went along the path to the door. When he approached Harry, Ron stood somewhat awkwardly before speaking in a low voice.

"She'll come 'round, you know?"

"I get where she was coming from, but I wasn't just going to keep their wands for no reason; we didn't need them."

"I know." Ron said bracingly as he stepped up to where he was evenly beside Harry. "Give her time, she'll come around. Who knows what Bellatrix did to her, anyway."

"I think we all have a pretty good idea." Harry muttered.

For the next week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent time with Bill, Fleur, Luna, and Dean. Griphook usually took meals in the room he was staying in, like Mr. Ollivander, but when he was strong enough to join them downstairs, he grudgingly agreed. They all awaited news from the Order, but didn't really hear anything. Harry had asked Dobby to return to Hogwarts so that he wouldn't be missed, and the elf had agreed enthusiastically; stating that the elves would be ready when the time came. Hermione meanwhile, had spoken to Harry again a day or so after they had nearly hit a sore spot with one another. She had apologized for losing her nerve, and he had done the same for being somewhat insensitive to the situation. Either way, the three were on good terms again, and Harry had mentioned to them just what Luna had suggested; that their next target might be Gringotts; more specifically, Bellatrix' vault. At first, Hermione had been skeptical, but as she thought about it, her curiosity grew, and the thre began scheming on ways to get into the bank and search her vault. This was when Hermione revealed that she had managed to pull a few of Bellatrix' hairs during their struggle.

On one Saturday afternoon, they were all gathered around the table for dinner, and there was a knock at the door. Bill stood and pulled his wand before moving to the door to have a look. When he muttered something to the stranger, they replied, and it seemed Bill was satisfied with the answer. He stepped back and pulled the door open to reveal a man in shabby robes and a worn black traveling cloak that was clearly snow-flecked. Only when the door was closed behind him did he remove his hood. It was Remus Lupin. Still greying faster than he should, the young man shook off his cloak and looked around the table; he had clearly not expected the house to be so full. His eyes landing on Harry, he stepped forward and grasped his hand in a warm greeting.

"Harry!" He said as Harry stood to shake his hand in return. "I didn't expect to see you here, but I'm thankful you three are safe." He looked to Ron and Hermione in turn. "I have news." He added; looking around at the others, who had hoped he would say this. "I'll start with the bad first: You Know Who has been spotted in Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?" Dean asked bewildered. "He's that close to the school? Why would he be there?"

"The Elder Wand." Harry murmured under his breath so that only Ron and Hermione could hear. The look they gave him made him feel slightly guilty; he hadn't told them what he had seen when they had first arrived at Shell Cottage. Mouthing that he would explain later, he listened as Bill urged Remus on.

"Why do you reckon he's there, Remus?"

"I don't know…" Lupin frowned. "No one is really sure on that. So far, he's said he would leave Hogwarts alone…"

"Right, while having death eaters in charge and teaching classes." Harry said frowning as well. "Saw where the Carrows are there."

"Oh yes, that poses a problem." Remus muttered. He knew exactly how Harry had seen this, and didn't say a word for or against it.

"And the good news?" Ron asked. He knew there was nothing that could really be done about Voldemort being spotted so close to the school. "I hope there's good news as well."

"Oh, there is!" Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope that looked to be full of something. When he handed it to Harry, he urged him to open it. Harry did so, and several photographs came out onto the now cleared off table. They all showed moving images of a grinning Remus and or Tonks with a lightly wrapped bundle in their arms. Harry looked at them and then back at Remus and beamed. He noticed the man beside him was doing the same.

"Congratulations!" He, Ron, Hermione, and the others said almost at once; Bill standing up to shake Remus' hand and clap him on the back. "Got a name?"

"Teddy, after Dora's father." Remus said. "She's heard from him, by the way. He's safe for now. I thought I'd let you all know, though." He grinned as Hermione and Fleur were talking excitedly about the baby's turquoise hair in one of the photos. "I should get back, though…"

"Hang on." Bill said, and he entered the kitchen and returned with a tray of butterbeers and mead. "You'll not leave until we've properly celebrated this. Good and happy news like this doesn't come along all that often, does it?"

"No, I suppose not." Remus joined them in a few good and cheerful rounds of butterbeer while everyone took the time to look through the photos in detail. While most were doing that, he turned and addressed Harry. "There was something else…" He almost looked as if this was going to be an awkward sort of topic, but he pressed on. "Dora and I have talked it over and we wondered if you'd agree to be Teddy's godfather, Harry." He said it hopefully but with a notion that he almost expected a negative answer. Harry took no time in answering with a nod and a grin.

"Of course, if you're sure."

"Yes." Lupin beamed and stood from the table. "Oh, Dora will be thrilled at your answer. I do need to go, though. Wouldn't want her or her mother to worry."

"Travel safely, will you?" Harry said as he rose to walk with Lupin to the door. "Give them my best."

"And ours!" Bill called as he stood as well. "Let them know all's well here." With that, everyone bade Remus farewell as he ventured back out into the ongoing snow flurry. Bill stood at the window and watched him get just beyond the walk and disapparate before returning to the table.

Harry Ron, and Hermione, while spending time with everyone else, took the time to talk amongst themselves that night about what Harry had meant. He explained what he had seen of Voldemort and Grindelwald's conversation and where the Elder wand resided. He also brought up a tentative suggestion that they enlist the help of Griphook the goblin to get into the wizard bank. This would require more talks with him, but Ron and Hermione seemed to agree that the former Gringotts employee would be essential to successfully getting in and out of the bank's vaults. When they finally consulted the goblin, he was ready to refuse, but he decided to assist with a stipulation: they give him the true sword of Gryffindor. Harry, who had an idea, tentatively agreed, but he was overheard by Bill when talking about the plan a few days later. On Wednesday, Bill found the three sitting in the sitting room talking in low voices about the upcoming planned trip into Gringotts. He cleared his throat, and they all looked up sharply, but he spoke before they could defend their actions.

"I know what you're planning." He began in a half stern voice. "I heard, and I have to say I think it's damned foolish to attempt it." He chose to sit down in the armchair opposite the sofa to look at them. "Gringotts goblins are exceptionally paranoid. I've worked with them, and they are very… reluctant to deal with wizards, even if they have to. You're planning on getting into the bank and out by using Griphook, but I have to ask: what did he want in return?"

"He wants the sword." Ron offered. Bill didn't look surprised.

"Figured as much. It's goblin-made." He leaned forward slightly as he explained. "It's like Muriel's tiara, isn't it? Goblins assume that while you have paid for it, you have only paid for the right to use it. When you die or something happens, they think it should be rightfully theirs again, due to the fact that their lot made it."

"So, when you buy something that is goblin-made, it's like you're only paying rents on it?" Ron asked, and Bill nodded.

"Exactly. Whatever you've promised him, be sure you live up to it. Goblins are very particular when it comes to that sort of thing."

"So, you're warning us on how to get away with it rather than telling us not to do it, then?" Hermione asked; slightly concerned. "I would think you'd be telling us not to do it."

"Not like I can stop you, is it?" Bill smiled sadly. "I mean, you're of age, so I can't technically keep you here, can I?"

From that point on, the three began fine-tuning the plan. Hermione would use the hairs and polyjuice potion that remained to impersonate Bellatrix Lestrange, while Ron would be put under some glamour charms to make him look like a foreign ally of Voldemort's. Harry would be under the invisibility cloak with Griphook, and they would enter the bank and hopefully get down into the vaults without issue, but getting out was another ordeal altogether. Griphook hadn't discussed the specifics on how they would be getting out, but he hadn't said he would just leave them down there either. Harry brought it up to him a few more times and the goblin didn't get very specific at all with his answers. That next Saturday, Harry and Griphook left Shell Cottage to wait for Ron and Hermione. The former was being altered by Fleur and Bill together, so that the charms would be done correctly rather than fall apart at the wrong moment. Hermione, while saying that she was not very learned with glamour charms, was busy choking down the remains of the polyjuice potion she had stashed in her bag. When she finally joined them, Harry had to keep the look of revulsion off of his face. Standing before him in elegant black robes was a very convincing Bellatrix Lestrange. The only thing missing was the arrogant smirk that the woman usually always wore.

"Well, how do I look?"

"Hideous." Ron said as he stepped out as well. He was now wearing brown robes that looked to have been locked away in a dusty closet for years. His hair was dark brown with flecks of grey. It looked shorter than his hair naturally was, and he had a neat but thin greying goatee as well. "Don't think I look any better though."

"Well, you both look convincing, anyway." Harry said as he and Griphook took in the others' appearances. "Are you ready, then?"

"S'pose." Ron muttered as they walked away from Shell Cottage toward the sea's edge. "Hermione?"

"As ready as I'll ever be to impersonate Bellatrix." It was odd to hear Bellatrix speak but know that it was Hermione. Harry nodded and withdrew his cloak while Hermione shrank her bag and put it in her robe pocket.

"Right. Griphook, you'll be with me under the cloak." The goblin stepped closer. Harry took his arm, and the three concentrated on Charing Cross Road in London. They had already said their goodbyes to Bill, Fleur, Dean, Luna, and Mr. Ollivander earlier that morning. That last conversation with him had been somewhat interesting. Putting it out of his mind for the moment, Harry turned and disapparated while holding tight to the goblin beside him and the cloak around them both.

When they appeared on the walk just outside of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry could see that this was one of those bitter cold days. Snow was still thick here, but not as bad as they had seen elsewhere. The wind had picked up here, and those that were outside were rushing in all directions with coat collars and hoods pulled up over their faces to shield them from the biting frosty air. Ron had approached the door first, but Griphook caught Hermione's sleeve before they pushed it open. His hand gripped her wrist tightly as if in warning. When she looked back, she wore an expression that Bellatrix would never consider fit for her face; unsure.

"What is it, Griphook?" Ron muttered under his breath.

"Remember who you are supposed to be." The goblin hissed. "You walk with an air that suggests you're entitled. You act as much like a self-centered and confident witch as possible; otherwise we may as well use that sword to slit our own throats."

"Right." Hermione said briskly, She was about to enter first when Ron stopped her. They waited while they heard the sounds of Harry dropping to his knees to allow Griphook to get atop his shoulders. That was part of the plan he wasn't too sure about, but Harry had agreed that it would be easier to hide the two of them under the cloak this way. Only when they saw Harry's footprints step closer to them, though slightly staggered, did they open the door and stride in.

The Leaky Cauldron was not nearly as full as it usually was, but the people in the pub were quick to take notice of the two that had entered. Ron stayed quiet but kept just behind Hermione. She, posing as Bellatrix, did her best to seem in charge of the situation. Harry had to admit that she was doing rather well; considering she was scaring half of the people in the pub including Tom, the barman. With him nodding to her rather timidly, she strode through the pub and exited through the door that would lead them to the entrance to Diagon Alley. Once there, Hermione withdrew the wand that had belonged to one of the snatchers they had disarmed and tapped the brick to reveal the archway.

Diagon Alley was nowhere near what it had used to be. Brightly lit stores that had used to keep the area pulsing with life now stood boarded up and dark. Ollivander's was still closed, Florean Fortescue's parlor was dark and empty, and even Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes had been closed. Madam Malkin's robe shop was closed, but it seemed it had been open earlier that day. In short, the alley was more barren and empty than any of the had ever seen it. Their main concern however, stood at the head of the alley; Gringotts, in its marble white towering building, did not stand void of people as it usually did. There were two wizards standing there with golden poles. Thankfully, there were a few people hanging about outside of another shop and talking in low voices because Ron took a moment to send Griphook a questioning look. The goblin aswered the unspoken question.

"Security. They will be sure to know your business before entering the bank. It is an insult; we have never needed such things before."

"But what are they for, Griphook?" Harry muttered as they purposefully stopped to look into the darkened apothecary. "What do the poles do?"

"Check for enchantments." Griphook answered quickly. "They'll know that those two aren't who they say they are." Apparently hearing this, Ron and Hermione shared a look before Hermione decided on a more Bellatrix-like approach. Stepping past the small crowd of people, she strode up to the wizards, who nodded curtly as she approached.

"Madam Lestrange." Another voice from behind said, and Hermione turned; she had to work to keep her expression calm as she faced a man she recognized. It was one of the death eaters from when they had gone to see Xenophilius Lovegood; Travers. "Didn't expect to see you out and about so soon."

"I'm here to check on my vault." Hermione offered curtly. As she said her next words, both Harry and Ron noted how hard it must have been to say them. "Filthy mudblood could have gotten in. I'd rather se if everything's secure."

"Fair enough." Travers agreed. "So, who is this one you've got here?"

"Foreign supporter of the Dark Lord." Hermione said in the equivalent to Bellatrix' most reverent voice. "Volunteered many of his people to the cause, he did."

"Good on him. Got a name there, Chap?" Travers addressed Ron, and Ron just looked at Hermione. Apparently, the tw had already discussed this, because Ron looked as if he didn't understand a word he was hearing.

"Doesn't speak English." Hermione said half exasperated. "Speaks Bulgarian." With that, she addressed the two pole-holding men. "I have business here."

"Of course, Madam Lestrange." One of them said preparing to raise his pole, but Griphook nudged Harry quickly, and Harry managed a discrete "Imperio" that left the wizards wearing expressions similar to Crabbe and Goyle. They looked at their poles and then at each other before the one spoke again. "Good day then, Madam Lestrange."

With that, Hermione and Ron strode forward and into the first room of the bank. Travers followed, apparently having business to do there as well, and they all looked at the silver doors that displayed the message regarding thievery. Hermione went on past the two goblins that bowed slightly as she passed. From here, they could see goblins sitting on high stools at their places on either side of the hall. Some were weighing gold, gemstones, and one was even weighing what looked to be fangs. As Hermione and Ron passed, they received looks from the Gringotts employees, but no one else said a word. Looking around the hall, they could see many doors leading off of it and to the many vaults. Travers was headed for one of them, and Hermione went for a goblin nearby. This one was weighing what looked to be mounds of rubies as she approached. She cleared her throat so that the goblin nearest looked up sharply.

"I wish to enter my vault."

"Ah, Madam Lestrange." The goblin said in a slightly awed but worried voice. "Of course. Would you mind providing some form of identification? Perhaps your wand?"

"I hardly think that's necessary." Hermione snapped in a cold voice that Harry could easily associate with Bellatrix.

"It is the bank's policy. I'm sure you understand."

"They know." Hissed Griphook in Harry's ear. "They know something's off."

"No, I most certainly do not understand." Hermione had heard Griphook and was improvising. "I have a bit of urgent business and I'd like to see to I, if you don't mind." She said it in a harsh and sharp tone. The goblin looked to recoil slightly, and Harry seized the opportunity to cast another silent imperius curse on the goblin. He seemed to calm himself, and, after looking down at Hermione again, he nodded.

"Bogrod will show you to your vault, then. If you will follow me."

Ron and Hermione nodded to Travers who was still waiting on his goblin, and they entered a door just past the teller. Inside there, stood another goblin with a cart that would take them down through the cavernous bank to the Lestrange vault. A slightly tight fit, Hermione, Ron, Bogrod, Harry, and Griphook got into the cart and it took off down a steep slope. Harry gripped the invisibility cloak while Griphook held onto his neck tightly. He could feel the long fingers of the goblin pressing on his throat as they took another steep drop. Chancing a look at Ron and Hermione, Harry saw them looking around as the cart went past several vaults with lock and key much like his. As they got further down, the air got to be more and more frigid. It was already cold due to the temperatures outside still below freezing, but this was air that almost felt as if it were cutting into Harry's skin as they ventured further. Vaults became fewer and fewer; Harry noticed they looked similar to vault 713, the one that had contained the sorcerer's stone more than six years ago. Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of rushing water, and as they reached it, Griphook reacted by shouting "No!" at Bogrod, but it was too late. They had gone through it, and when Harry looked up again, he was sopping wet. He also noticed that Ron and Hermione were no longer the unnamed Bulgarian wizard and Bellatrix Lestrange; they had been reverted back to their normal appearance. Immediately, the cart stopped with a jolt and flipped over.

For a second, Harry's heart clenched, and then they all fell through the endless blackness toward the rocky depths below. Harry reached into his pocket for his wand and had just tightened his grip on it when he felt Griphook's hands tightening even more around his throat. The goblin was going down fast and pulling Harry along with him, but as solid rock rushed up to meet them, they all heard Hermione's voice.

"Aresto Momentum!"

Just as soon as it had started, they had stopped falling. Suspended in midair just above the ground, they had a moment to right themselves before Hermione released the charm and they dropped to the stone landing below. At this point, all of them were still sopping wet and very cold. Bogrod, the goblin, was looking around at them with alarm in his eyes.

"What the devil are you all doing down here! Thieves!" With that, he went to put the bank on alert, but Ron stopped him by muttering "Imperio" under his breath. The goblin calmed down, and as he looked around, he seemed to remember what he was doing. He picked up the metal box that he had been holding when they had first seen them and opened it. Inside, here were what looked to be two heavy and dense iron balls that were on chains that didn't seem they would support them. Holding them out in his hand, he let them dangle freely for the moment. "Follow me, please." He said in a much calmer tone than before. This left the four to continue down the path until Bogrod paused outside of what looked to be a plain wall. Looking around the corner, he took the large metal balls and swung them so that they would make a very harsh clanking noise. Harry was surprised that such a sound could come from a small object, but as he and the others progressed, they heard the distant wailing of something rather large. Looking everywhere, Harry finally spotted something moving in the shadows, and Ron recognized it at once.

"A dragon…" He turned to Griphook. "So the rumors were true… There are dragons down here!"

"To guard the lower vaults." Griphook nodded.

"Why is he making that sound?" Hermione asked as she too spotted the dragon backing away from them as they passed.

"Clankers." Griphook motioned to the swinging metal orbs Bogrod's arm. "They've been trained to expect pain when they hear the noise."

"That's awful…" Hermione muttered as they passed. She could see the dragon's face, and its eyes were white. "It's blind…"

"Would you rather he see us?" Ron asked. "Wouldn't want a dragon to see me down here… Wouldn't have anywhere to go to escape it, would we?"

"Still…" But Hermione couldn't think on it anymore. They had stopped just outside a door to a vault. This was exactly like the one from 713. Harry watched as Bogrod gently ran his finger down the middle of the door. It melted away; revealing an entire cavernous room filled with gold, piles of galleons, and more treasures than Harry had seen.

They stepped into the vault, and kept Bogrod close at hand, so as not to get sealed inside. Harry searched the vault's contents but couldn't see very much further up than a few levels. Pulling his wand, he cast Lumos Maxima to illuminate the entire vault. When the orb of light settled in the air like a small sun, he looked further up. He could already hear the slight sound of metal scratching against glass as he had with the locket, but his eyes never landed on the cup he remembered from Hokey's memory. Only when he reached the topmost level did he spot it. Helga Hufflepuff's chalice with the ornate badger on it stood out against the silver of the goblets that surrounded it. Preparing to move toward it, his hand brushed a small golden tea platter and he immediately withdrew. His hand felt as if someone had lit a fire on it and the platter had clattered to the floor and split into three equal and separate versions of itself. Looking to Griphook Harry saw the goblin shake his head.

"They've added Geminio and Flagrante curses. Everything you touch will burn your skin and multiply. The copies are useless."

"Do you see it, Harry?" Ron asked as he searched the vault as well.

"Up on the top, just there." Harry indicated, and he knew what was coming next; apparently Griphook did as well.

"Summoning charms and the like won't work in here."

"How are we supposed to get it down, then?" Hermione voiced Ron's question for him, and Harry had to wonder the same thing. He couldn't very well clamber up onto the shelving. If he did, he was bound to hit something and then he would burn himself and likely fall. That would only lead to more duplicating and burning. He then spotted a small spot where me might be able to place his foot to get a bit of a leg up, but he wouldn't be able to reach the cup even then, unless…

"Hermione, hand me Gryffindor's sword, will you?" He asked as he kept an eye on the slightly bare spot on the shelf where the tea platter had been. When she returned her bag to its normal size, she plunged a hand into it and retrieved the sword. Handing it to Harry, she watched as he took a step up onto the shelf where the tea platter had been. It seemed to support his weight well enough, but as he edged his foot further along, he hit one of the large gem-encrusted goblets that stood rather tall beside him. It fell against his leg and multiplied, but Harry was more concerned with the fact that he had a scalding goblet on his leg and he was losing his balance. Reaching up blindly, he wrapped his hand around the edge of a shelf above to keep his balance. There were already things clattering below where the goblet copies had touched other things and were already duplicating. Harry focused; holding the sword by the bare end of its ruby-encrusted handle, he was just able to slide the blade through one of the handles of the horcrux. It slid down the blade and touched his other hand that he was using for balance; this sent him crashing back down against other items that had already duplicated. He managed to keep the sword point upright so that the cup didn't get lost in all of the other duplicated contents of the Lestrange vault. As he struggled to get to his feet again while pushing scalding metal objects off of him, he took the chalice and pocketed it. Unlike everything else, it was ice cold to the touch. He had just managed to get back toward Bogrod, Ron, and Hermione when a hand gripped the blade and pulled it from him.

"Griphook!" Harry shouted as his free hand reached for the sword. "What are you doing! I need to destroy this with that!"

"The cup for the sword!" The goblin roared over Ron and Hermione's shouts of pain as more copies spawned from the plates, goblets, and the like now flooding the floor. "Your word!"

"Let me destroy this and then it's yours!" Harry shouted back, but the goblin had already wrenched the blade from him and was making his way back to the door. "Get back here, Griphook! Part of the deal was that we got in and got-"

"I only said I'd get you in." Griphook sneered as he got out of the vault. "I never said anything about getting you out!"


	11. Ravenclaw Tower

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Eleven: Ravenclaw Tower_

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left standing there with a thoroughly confused Bogrod as Griphook sprinted away shouting "Thieves" at the top of his voice. The three were facing mounds of scalding treasures that hadn't stopped multiplying since their initial beginning. Already, their ankles and lower legs were covered in burns and Harry's upper body was also littered with them. He looked over to Bogrod and hoped Ron had kept the imperius curse going. It seemed he had, for the goblin hadn't pelted out after Griphook just yet. Looking back to Hermione, Harry could almost read her mind; they were stuck here with an imperiused Gringotts goblin while another goblin was getting away with the sword and alerting the entire bank of their presence.

"What do we do now!" Ron shouted as the clattering and clinking of metal and glass on stone became a muffled roar. "Bloody idiot is going to let the entire bank know we're here!"

"Use Bogrod to get us out of here." Harry managed as the three started carving a path back toward the entrance to the vault. The door had sealed as soon as Griphook had started shouting the word "Thieves", but Bogrod raised a finger and opened it again. When the excess silver, gold, and glass had been strewn out over the stone landing outside, Ron and Harry spotted a few of the trolleys coming down to meet them. These contained armed wizards rather than goblins, and the wizards were no doubt death eaters or at least in line with Voldemort at the moment. Shooting a few stunners into the air, Harry was thankful that a few of the wizards that were coming down were now slumped over in their seats; successfully knocked out.

"So that little git figures he can just leave us here and get the sword?" Ron asked as he too sent a few stunners up. "Forgot who saved him from the Malfoys' place, didn't he?"

"Frankly, I don't think he cared." Harry said as he searched his brain for a way to get out of this mess. "Hermione, any ideas?"

"One…" She said as she shrank her bag again and replaced it in a secure robe pocket. "But it's… mad!"

"Let's hear it, then!" Ron shouted as he saw a few of the wizards getting out of their carts nearby. "Not much time to sit around and think about it, eh?"

"Relashio!" Hermione shouted. A purple jet of light had shot from her wand and went off somewhere in the darkness. At first, all was silent, save for the still clattering contents of the Lestrange vault and the shouts of the wizards a little ways off. Harry watched for any sign of movement and then he saw it; a puff of smoke and the sudden breaking of chains.

"You've lost it!" Ron shouted. Apparently he realized what Hermione had just done.

"No, if I'm right, it's our way out of here!" Hermione shouted back. She had already made her way past them and was standing hear the edge of the stone landing. She was keeping an eye on the still somewhat stunned dragon as it clumsily lumbered nearer. Using her wand, she managed to use the loose chain to lead the dragon toward them. "Well, come on then!" She motioned to its grey-brown leathery side as it got near enough. "This is our only way!"

Harry, who had been that close to a Hungarian Horntail hadn't been all that thrilled to clamber onto another dragon's back, but he realized that if they were to get out, they had no real choice. He let Hermione get a good secure spot on one of its spinal ridges before he did the same. They both waited while Ron climbed aboard, and only when he was secure did Hermione point her wand at the dragon's scaly side and mutter "Reducto!" Immediately, the dragon roared in protest and flames billowed from its mouth. Harry cast a look back onto the landing to see Bogrod dive out of the way in time. The spray of fire caught several of the wizards that had been coming toward them however; their screams were echoing throughout the cavern. Feeling another jolt however, Harry gripped the thickridge ahead of him as the dragon spread its wings and propelled itself into the air. Chain still swinging dangerously below, the three were pleased to see Travers knocked plum off his feet and into a freezing little pond that seemed to be the dragon's water source.

Soon, the screams and spells of Gringotts' security wizards were growing dimmer and replaced by a rushing of wind. The dragon, though blindly flying, was climbing upward toward the bank's main level. The air around them was slowly getting a bit warmer, but it was still much colder than anyone would have preferred. The heat in the vault had been refreshing with their still wet robes, but it had done little to dry them. Harry could feel his right arm still aching from the burns and where the dagger had been plunged through it, but that was the center of his pain at the moment. The res of him was numb from the cold. As they reached the upper vaults, more and more torches were seen; goblins, wizards, and witches were all pointing and staring at the dragon's clumsy ascent, but they did very little to stop it. It was assumed that due to the upper levels, these goblins did not have the clankers that would have made this dragon tense up.

There was a loud crashing noise from just above, and Hermione, Harry, and Ron had to grip the dragon's sides and back as it flew straight up through the main floor of Gringotts. Marble, wood, and dust rained down on them as it used its head as a battering ram to get through the floor and the glass dome overhead. It seemed that the dragon could tell it was out in the open skies, because it spread its great wings, damaging the metal and glass dome more as it went, and let out a satisfying puff of smoke.

"Reducto!" Hermione shouted again, and the dragon reacted instantly. Staring ahead, it leapt from the bank's high ceiling and rose swiftly into the air. Only as Diagon Alley and London in general faded from view due to the clouds, did Ron speak up.

"You really are barking! Using a dragon…"

"Would you rather I had left us there?" Hermione grinned as she looked back at Ron. She had never really been one to fly before, but after getting a taste of it on the back of Buckbeak, she had easily learned to enjoy it; granted she hadn't experimented with a broom all that much, but still… Harry had to grin as well. This was really not the way he had planned on escaping Gringotts.

They flew on for what felt like half an hour, and no one really knew where they were, due to the heavy blanket of clouds below. All any of them knew was that it was damned cold up on the back of this dragon, and it would be nice to land and have their robes properly dried and warmed. As if on cue, the dragon started to descend. The clouds came closer and closer, while its head plunged deeper into what looked like a terrible dive. Ron, who had been looking down, suddenly turned very green. Harry had been looking down as well, but what he finally saw made him a little more relieved; the dragon was headed for a vast lake. As they broke through the clouds, Hermione was scanning the surrounding area in an attempt to figure out where they were, but there was no point. It all looked alien to them. Lakes, trees, and a thick blanket of snow were all that met them, but Harry could see that it was late afternoon.

"We're getting closer!" Hermione said as she looked over the side of the dragon again. "What should we do?"

"Jump?" Ron suggested, but his tone suggested he really didn't like the idea.

"When?" Hermione asked; gripping her wand and replacing it in the same pocket as her bag.

"Now!" Harry shouted. They were as close to the water as they wre going to get. The dragon had evened out and was flying rather low over the lake now. "Go!" They all took a large breath of cold air and leapt off of the dragon's back and into the water below. As soon as Harry's body wentin, he could feel himself being pulled away.

* * *

There was a surge of anger; blinding white-hot anger that filled him like a fast-acting poison. He could see the bank, the vault, and the cup gone from its place. There was a goblin on the floor; dark hair and torn clothes of Griphook lay before him. The sword was in the goblin's tight grip. He watched it disappear into thin air. Then he was there, on a sea-washed cliff side; the mouth of the cave he remembered so well stood open to him. Through the passage, to the boat, across the lake, and onto the island, he saw the eerie green light from the potion. With a wave of his hand, it cleared to reveal nothing. That same white-hot wave went through him again, and Harry could practically feel his forehead splitting open. Then he saw it; Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw, and a tower flashing into his mind as clear as day.

* * *

He could feel four hands gripping his shoulders and arms and pulling him up through the icy water. When his head broke the surface, he opened his eyes and saw them; Ron and Hermione were both looking at him with very concerned expressions. They were both treading water while he was nearly about to go back under due to his lack of movement. They managed to get him to the frozen shore, and when his feet hit solid ground, Harry was fully back to himself. Aching to the point of collapse and cold to the bone, he coughed and caught his breath while Hermione withdrew her wand and the bag she had shrank back in the bank. From within it, she removed freshly laundered robes for them all and sat it down on the ground while they changed. Before handing them to the other two, Hermione cast a lasting warming charm on the piles of clothing. The two men beside her both had matching grateful expressions as they took turns under the invisibility cloak changing into their warm robes. When they were done, Hermione took her turn while Harry performed drying and cleaning charms on their old things before shoving them back into Hermione's bag. They could be cleaned properly another time. Hermione emerged and performed the same spells on the old robes from Grimmauld Place that she had used for her impersonation of Bellatrix. When they were placed back into her bag as well, she turned to Harry.

"You saw something." Harry didn't even ask how she knew, but Hermione answered anyway. "You just went rigid in the water and Ron and I had to go after you. What was it?"

"He knows what we're doing." Harry said as he pulled the chalice from a pocket of his robes to examine it. "He knows we're looking for these and that we've found the locket." He couldn't find a way to describe the pain and rage that had passed through him at the time. Harry usually could understand it, but Voldemort's thoughts were becoming unstable and disconnected.

"Anything else?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Hogwarts." Harry nodded. "One is at Hogwarts and it has something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Rowena Ravenclaw?" Hermione shook her head in slight confusion. "How do you know?"

"I saw her and Ravenclaw tower. It has something to do with her, but I'm not sure what." Harry said as he replaced the golden cup into his pocket. "We'll have to go to Hogsmeade and try the cellar at Honeydukes."

"So apparate into Hogsmeade?" Hermione sounded skeptical. "Won't that be dangerous?"

"Not into Hogsmeade, no." Harry shook his head. He remembered what he had heard about the village. "Caterwauling charm was placed."

"A what?" Ron looked befuddled at this news.

"Caterwauling charm, Ron." Hermione repeated. "It basically alerts anyone of intruders' presence by emitting a rather noticeablel squalling sound." Turning her eyes onto Harry again, she searched him as she spoke next. "How did you know?"

"McGonagall told me."

"When you saw her in Godric's Hollow…" Hermione nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Said she had to leave the village and go to the north, where we met Sirius, and disapparate from there."

"You saw her in Godric's Hollow?" Ron asked as he helped Hermione place a few other things back in her bag that she had gotten out to find their robes. "What was she doing there?"

"Said she needed an excuse to leave the castle over Christmas." Harry shrugged as he went on. "With the Carrows and Snape, I can't say I blame her. Saw her in the graveyard on Christmas Eve night."

"So there's a charm over Hogsmeade to keep "undesireables" out…" Ron muttered as he thought for a moment. "Think that cave is alright, then? The one where we met Sirius and Buckbeak?"

"Should be safe enough." Harry hoped it was, anyway. The last thing they needed was the entire village and castle to be alerted to their presence. He waited as Hermione slung her bag over her shoulder and tightened her traveling cloak around her neck. Once they were all set, the three concentrated on the cave where they had discussed the prophet and tournament with Sirius before disapparating away from the lakeside and the dragon that had finally landed and was taking in mouthfuls of water from an island nearby.

When they hit solid ground again, they were in the musty cave outside of Hogsmeade. Dark and gloomy, it still looked exactly as it had when Sirius had inhabited it for a short time. Harry could see many of the shop lights from Hogsmeade's high street as he looked out of the cave's mouth. The sun wasn't too far down just yet, and normally, this would be the time when students were headed home from their visit to the village. Motioning to the others, he pulled out the invisibility cloak and threw it over them all. It was a hard fit, but all three managed to get beneath it again to travel the distance from the cave to the village. On their way in however, they saw a few familiar death eaters. Goyle was emerging from the Three Broomsticks, while Macnair was exiting the Hog's Head pub. Then there were other cloaked figures that met them as well; these had normal witches and wizards moving quickly from store to house or back toward the castle. Dementors were coming out of the shadows to glide throughout the streets.

The three pressed on in their movement toward the village, and when they got onto the high street, Harry felt as if someone had taken ice and injected it into his veins. The dementors were hovering on every street corner, and he didn't have to listen hard to hear that familiar rattling breath they took. With a slight nudge from Hermione, he pressed on, and they came within feet of Macnair as he prowled the alleyway near the Hog's Head. Unfortunately, as he passed, so too did two dementors. They didn't seem to phase the death eater much, but Harry could already hear the screams of his mother and father in his ears. He could feel the white fog filling his mind, and his legs felt as if they were made of rubber and would fold beneath him. While Macnair went on down the high street, Harry searched his pocket for his wand. It was there, and he had his grip on it, but as he went to pull it out, he heard a voice from somewhere down the lane.

"And stay away from my bar, you gits!" With that, a patronus had come cantering toward them in the form of a goat. It stood between the three and the dementors as a shield. Harry could feel his head clearing ad the screams and shouts growing further away. They were nearly gone when he heard that same voice speaking in a low hiss. "You three, over here."

Turning, they saw a man stepping back from the doorway of the Hog's Head, and for a second, Harry could have sworn he had seen Dumbledore. The silver-white hair and beard moved quickly out of sight, and a brown cat left the bar. Hermione's hand closed around Harry's arm and she almost pulled him toward the bar. He was still slightly shaken by the dementors, and he hated the lasting effect. Finally snapping out of it, he joined them in their brisk walk, and managed to get inside the door before it slowly closed. When they saw it lock, all three looked to the bar where that same old man stood. He had Dumbledore's light blue eyes, but they did not hold Albus' warmth. The face was similar, but hardened by time. Harry also saw that the man's nose was clearly not broken. He wore dark brown robes that were thick for the winter, and he walked with an almost always tired air as he moved closer. Motioning for them to follow him, he led them up above the bar.

Once clear of the stairs, Harry removed the cloak and took a moment to look around the room he was in. There was a sofa, a table, a portrait of a beautiful young woman with auburn hair and the same blue eyes as Dumbledore's, and Sirius' mirror. Harry could see himself in the mirror as he looked at the square piece of polished glass. Turning to look at the Hog's Head bartender, Harry saw a knowing look. He didn't even have to voice the question of how the old man had gotten it, either. The bartender had moved past him, picked up the mirror, and turned it in his hand a few times before he motioned to them to sit down. He pulled out a few dusty butterbeers from a case in the corner and sat them on the table as well before sitting down himself.

"Got that mirror from Mundungus Fletcher, I did." The barman looked Harry over carefully. "You were wondering just how I got it off of Sirius Black, were you not?"

"That was his mirror." Harry said evenly. "Dung had no right to steal it."

"Think about it this way; where would you be if I hadn't gotten it off him?"

"It was you I saw in the mirror then." Harry said as he searched his mind for the times he had seen the eye looking back at him. "I saw you over the summer and while we were captured-"

"At Lucius Malfoy's estate, yeah." The man nodded sharply.

"You're Aberforth, aren't you? Albus Dumbledore's brother?" Harry guessed. Seeing the man nod, Harry went on. "You sent Dobby."

"I did; rather liked that elf. Where'd you leave him?"

"He's back at Hogwarts." Harry said simply as he wrenched off the cap of his butterbeer and took a small swig of it. The liquid filled him with a warmth that he felt he really needed. True, it wasn't as powerful as chocolate's effect, but it still did the job for chasing the chill of the weather and the dementors away. "Thank you for letting us in here, but how did you know we were here?"

"Saw too many footprints in the snow." Aberforth said simply as he looked over the rim of his own bottle. "That cloak of yours won't completely conceal you in this weather."

"Do you hear from the Order at all?" Hermione asked as she too took a long draft of her butterbeer.

"The Order's done." Aberforth said flatly. "Any resistance was quashed long ago."

"We need to get back into the castle. Is there any way to do that?" Ron was looking from Aberforth to the portrait back and forth as he asked this.

"No way in or out that will be safe for you lot."

"Dumbledore left us a task, and to finish it, I need to get into Hogwarts-"

"Did he now?" Aberforth asked with a skeptical tone. "Any task that involves you goin' back in there is a suicide run. You'd be better off turning around and going into hiding."

"Can't do that, now can I?" Harry asked. He could already tell that there was definite animosity between Aberforth and his brother. "I know he wouldn't just send me off into impossible odds-"

"Really?" Aberforth asked; his voice rising in volume slightly to overtake Harry's. "Think he wouldn't do something to put you in danger, do you?"

"I trusted him."

"That's a boy's answer, not a man's." Aberforth snapped. "You think he wouldn't give you some damned near impossible task… You're lying; not to me, that doesn't matter. "You trusted him and you thought you knew him… Tell me, in all that time you knew him, did he ever mention my name? Ever mention hers?" Aberforth gestured to the portrait on the wall.

"That's your sister, Ariana, isn't it?" Hermione asked in an attempt to diffuse the tension between them. "We saw her and your mother's graves in Godric's Hollow's cemetery."

"She looked up to him, but I was the one that could keep her calm and her mind off things." The barman looked from Ariana to Hermione. "Albus was too busy looking for power that he let it blind him to what really mattered. Mother died, and he was there to assume the family's responsibilities he never wanted." He was sounding more and more bitter as he went on, and Harry could see Aberforth's expression darken with every word. "His quest for ultimate power made her pay the ultimate price."

"I don't really care what happened between you and your brother." Harry said almost coldly as he looked Aberforth in the eye. "I need a way into that castle tonight, whether you can help or not. Maybe you've given up, but there are those Order members out there that are still fighting."

"Only Order member in that castle has assumed you're captured." That stopped Harry in his movement to get up from the table. "But if you've really got to get in that place and kill yourself, then go on ahead." Aberforth stood and moved to the portrait. He looked Ariana over before saying softly. "You know what to do." With that, the young woman turned and started strolling down the path that was painted on her canvas. It showed a garden on either side and a periwinkle blue sky above. As her retreating back got smaller and smaller, Ron voiced a question.

"Where's she going?"

"You'll see soon enough." Aberforth said with a resigned tone to his voice. Harry looked from the portrait back to him again.

"I trusted the man I knew. It's all I could do at the time. He didn't offer any personal stories, and neither did I. I won't say it's been easy, but everything he has told me has been the truth. I'm using that to end all of this."

While Aberforth said nothing, he rose from his chair and headed back down to the bar. Hermione looked from him back to Harry and had a satisfied look on her face. "You know, you might not have given him the answer he wanted, but I don't think he's given up just yet. He did keep an eye on us in that mirror, and he didn't have to."

"Hope that's not true, what he said about McGonagall, I mean." Ron muttered. "Wouldn't think you were captured, would she? Doesn't strike me as the sort to just give up."

"No…" Harry could almost see why she would think they had been captured. He hadn't written at all since they had escaped Malfoy Manor, and he hadn't even had time to look at the parchment since then. Addressing the last part of Ron's comment, he had a slight bit of confidence as he spoke. "You know she isn't the sort to just stop fighting. Look at what happened with Umbridge."

"Yeah, she even said she'd have chased the toad out herself but Peeves had nicked her walking stick." Hermione had to smile at that memory. As Harry did the same, he couldn't help but want to kick himself for not at least mentioning that they were alright. At that point however, the figure of Ariana Dumbledore could be seen coming back toward her portrait, and she wasn't alone.

"Who's that she's got with her?" Hermione had just enough time to ask this before Aberforth returned and the portrait swung open. When it did, Neville stepped out of it. "Neville!"

"At first I thought it was a joke, but…" Neville said as he stepped down from the passage beyond the portrait. "Figured it was worth a look. It's damned good to see you lot!" He said as he met the eyes of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. When he spoke next, he addressed Aberforth. "Hey Ab, I think we'll have a few others coming through." At this, the barman nodded and headed downstairs again to wait by the window. This left Harry and the others to follow Neville back through the portrait and into the stone passage he had just come from.

"Is this the only way in, then?" Harry asked as they heard the portrait close behind them. The corridor ahead was alight with a few torches every so may feet apart. It was warmer than any had expected it to be, but it was simple flagged stone. "Have the others been sealed off?"

"Snape had them sealed early on." Neville nodded as he moved on ahead. Harry could see he was holding his arm very carefully.

"How'd that happen?" Ron asked as he pointed at Neville's arm. They were moving along the passage at a good pace, but they couldn't see anything but torches ahead.

"Never healed properly. Last lesson with the Carrows was practicing the cruciatus curse… I refused." Neville said calmly as if it was a casual thing to practice the "torture" curse in school. "Terrible lot, the Carrows."

"Yeah, I've met them." Harry said as he remembered their being there when Dumbledore had been killed. "Heard they're professors of Muggle Studies and Defense."

"Yeah, if you can call either that now." Neville said. They were gradually going up a slow incline, and Harry could just make out the brown wooden surface of what looked to be the back of a portrait or a door at the end. "Good news is that we hardly ever see Snape. He's always shut away in his office. Carrows take care of punishments now. I actually think Filch is depressed over it."

"He would be depressed over something like that." Ron muttered as they finally got within a few yards of the portrait's back. "Git."

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" Neville grinned as he reached for the wooden surface to push it open. He motioned for the others to stand back. When the portrait swung forward, he stepped out. "Look alive, you lot. I've got a surprise."

"Hope it's not anymore of Aberforth's cooking…" Harry could hear the voice of Seamus Finnegan. "Hardly able to keep that down."

Neville stepped aside and had Harry, Ron, and Hermione step through the passage's entrance. As many eyes fell upon them, cheering erupted and there were several gasps and movements to rush forward. Neville cut past them and said something to Lee Jordan, who was standing nearby. Lee immediately got on a device that Harry recognized as a means to broadcast from the wizarding wireless. He said something and stepped back. This left others to rush forward and welcome the three back into the school. Among them were Luna, Dean, Seamus, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Cho Chang, and Ginny. There were several others that none of them recognized, but it felt good to be among familiar faces. Only when most had gotten to say hello and welcome back, did Neville speak again.

"So, what's the plan, Harry?"

"I've got to find something." Harry began. This led to a few other questions from others.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"We don't know."

"Where is it?" Ernie voiced this one.

"We don't know that either." Harry said with a slight frown. "I realize that's not much to go on, but I think it has something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw… Something small and easily concealed."

"There's the diadem." Luna said calmly as she stepped forward from the cluster of people. When no one said anything, she went on. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it?"

"Yes, but Luna, it's lost…" Cho nodded, though she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"What is a bloody diadem, anyway?" Ron asked when the crowd had gone quiet again.

"It's a sort of crown or a tiara." Cho said. "People looked for it for years thinking that it would bring them great knowledge."

"Seems to be a good start." Harry said quietly. In truth, he had no idea what he was looking for, but this diadem seemed to be a safe assumption.

"I can at least show you what you're looking for." Luna offered, and Harry agreed. "You might want to take that cloak of yours, though. No need to be seen just yet." Harry nodded and pulled the cloak back out from where he had stuffed it in his pocket at the Hog's Head. Walking through the room they were in with Luna, Harry threw it over them as he got to the door.

"We'll get things ready, Harry." Ginny said as she saw him disappear. "Looks like we'll have a good fight on our hands, doesn't it?"

'One that's been a long time coming for some." Harry said as he placed a hand on the door and prepared to push it open.

He and Luna moved through the corridors quickly, and Harry realized that they had been in the room of requirement when they had exited the passage. He also knew where she was taking him. The path she chose was discrete but it led to Ravenclaw tower. They had withdrawn the Marauders' map to keep an eye on the corridors surrounding them, but so far, there was nothing to really worry about. They could see Mrs. Norris on the second floor and Filch skulking around the dungeons. Snape was in his office on the seventh floor at the moment, and their path seemed clear. Upon reaching the tower, Luna stopped outside a handsome door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle's talon. Using it once, they heard a very faint but smooth voice pose a question.

"What holds no secrets but is quick to show one's flaws?"

"A mirror's reflection." Luna answered smoothly and was granted access to the common room. When the door swung open, Harry saw the many tables, midnight blue carpet, and almost starry ceiling of the room ahead. There was a warm fire, armchairs, and many bookshelves, but what caught Harry's attention the most was a marble sculpture of a very beautiful woman; Rowena Ravenclaw herself. When he pulled the cloak off to examine it more closely, he heard a sudden movement and cackling laughter. Turning to see who the third party was, his wand landed on Alecto Carrow.

"Knew you'd be here tonight, he did."

"Assumed as much." Harry shot back. He hadn't expected anyone to be here, but then again, he wasn't sure if Voldemort was aware he had seen Ravenclaw Tower while invading his mind, either. "Before you touch that mark of yours, I'd think about it. I could be long gone by the time he got here. Happened with Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor."

"Already done it, haven't I?" Alecto smirked as she moved her wand from Harry to Luna and back. "No escaping this time, Potter."

"We'll see." Harry said calmly as he kept his wand firmly trained on the Carrow sister, but turned his eyes to Luna. She seemed to already have an idea, because she plunged her hand into her robes and withdrew a black pellet and flung it to the ground. Immediately, darkness overtook the room, and Harry cast a stunner straight ahead. He heard the resounding thump of a body hitting the floor, and he threw the cloak back over himself and Luna. While they waited for the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to dissipate, Harry spoke aloud. "Where do you reckon the diadem is?"

"There's no real way to know." Luna said from beside him. "It vanished many centuries ago, and there have been no records of it resurfacing." Before she could go on, there was another voice, but this one was far off. Harry recognized it as the same voice that had questioned them before they entered the common room.

"Where do vanished objects go?"

"I dunno, do I?" This was a male's voice; gruff and almost dim-sounding, Harry knew it to be that of the Carrow brother, Amycus. "Open up."

"It will not do to leave such things unanswered." The voice said airily in response to Amycus. This was not what the other Carrow wanted to hear.

"Shut it and open up." Amycus snapped. "Alecto! You in there! Let me in!"

"What the devil is going on here?"

Harry and Luna froze in their preparation to blast the door open and knock Amycus out. Since hearing him speak, they had decided on pulling the door open and blasting him back as hard as possible, but this stopped them.

"I need in there and this thing ain't havin' it." Amycus responded to the newcomer.

"Didn't Filius let Alecto into Ravenclaw tower earlier in the evening?" I don't see why she wouldn't respond to your obvious attempts."

"Don't really give a damn, do I? Go on, open it!"

"As you wish."

"Where do vanished objects go?" The voice at the door asked again.

"Into non-being, which is to say, everywhere."

"Well reasoned." The door swung open again, and Amycus Carrow stepped inside followed by Professor McGonagall. Harry took this moment to look both teachers over. Amycus hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen him on the Astronomy tower, but McGonagall looked worse for wear. She looked thoroughly exhausted; eyes had dark shadows, her posture even seemed to be off. She stood taller than Amycus, but the witch Harry used to consider rather formidable was replaced by a woman who almost looked as if she had indeed given up as Aberforth suggested.

"Alecto?" Harry was brought out of his thoughts as he saw Amycus move through the room and freeze when he spotted his sister. "Alecto!"

"She is merely stunned." McGonagall said in a dismissive tone. "She will be well enough soon."

"No she ruddy well won't!" Amycus snarled as he turned on his heel to face McGonagall again. "Felt it burn… She summoned him, she did. Must have thought the boy was here…"

"What are you on about?" Now a bit annoyed at Amycus senseless rambling, Minerva narrowed her eyes. "Who would have been here other than Ravenclaw students?"

"She wasn't here by accident!" Amycus shouted. He strode forward, and Harry had to pull Luna back with him to avoid a collision with the death eater. "He thought Potter would be here tonight!"

"Potter…" Harry and Luna watched her expression to see just how it would change, but it didn't. McGonagall still looked rather miffed. "Why would he be in Ravenclaw Tower? He belongs in my house." This was said with a pride that Harry had never really listened for in her tone before. Immediately, he felt that same warmth flood through him as he had at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"How should I know!" The Carrow brother snapped as he glared at her. "Doesn't matter now. She called him here, and Potter's not… " Amycus looked around the room and while there was silence, they could all hear the slight sound of people stirring upstairs in the dormitories. "Yeah… That's what I'll do… Say a few of these brats made her do it-"

"You'll do no such thing." McGonagall said sharply with a horrified expression. "No student would be fool enough to force her to summon him here, and I will not allow you to even consider blaming them for her misjudgment-" She was silenced by his wand at her throat. Amycus may not have been nearly as tall or intimidating, but he had a means of getting his point across.

"You're not in a position to stop me are you, you old bat?" Luna had to restrain Harry as Amycus deliberately spit in her face before continuing. "We're in charge now, and there ain't a ruddy thing you can do about it. Blame these brats and let them take the fall."

"The hell you will-" Before she could draw her wand however, Amycus was already moving his wand and shouting a curse.

"Crucio!" He jabbed his wand and Harry froze. He watched his head of house crashing to the ground; body jerking slightly as she went. Jaw clenched, she did not give Amycus the satisfaction of hearing any sign of pain, but her breathing was hard as he made a mad swipe with his wand. Immediately an angry cut appeared and sent blood spraying down the side of her face.

 _"_ _Crucio!"_ Harry concentrated on Amycus as he could hear the incantation being shouted in his head. He had thrown off the cloak and was working his jaw furiously while watching as Amycus stiffened and was slammed onto the floor twisting and writhing as he fell. Howling in pain, his eyes were moving like mad; searching the room for any sign of who had just done this to him, but it didn't take him long to succumb to the pain. It didn't help that his head had slammed against hard stone when he had fallen backwards. Only when the shouting had stopped did Harry hear the slight buzzing of the muffliato charm. He assumed that Luna had cast it just before he had attacked Amycus. Harry dropped down beside his still shaking professor and pointed his wand at the base of the deep cut that the Carrow brother had caused. "Vulnura Senentur." Carefully following the path of the injury as he had seen Snape do in his sixth year, Harry was thankful to see the skin start to heal, though it seemed it would leave a scar.


	12. Resistance

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Twelve: Resistance_

* * *

"P-Potter…" At the moment, it was all she could manage as Professor McGonagall took Harry's offered arm. Her eyes traveled from him to who he assumed was Luna behind him for a moment, but then her gaze settled back on him. Harry's attention was drawn to Luna for a moment as wel at her next words, however.

"The others should know what happened here. I'll be back down in a bit." Harry watched Luna move up the stairs toward the dormitories of the older Ravenclaws, and when he heard a door close shortly after, he turned back.

"We don't have much time." Harry said quickly. "Are you alright?"

"Never mind that…" Still shaking slightly due to the aftereffects of the correctly named "torture" curse, Minerva's expression was one of concern as she spoke. "You used an unforgivable curse… Why?"

"He spat in your face." Harry said flatly as he glared at the still unmoving body of Amycus Carrow. "Then he had the nerve to use that curse on you."

"I… I don't know what to say." It was odd. Harry had never seen her without a comment ready or a well-placed sarcastic quip before, and for a split second he found he was quite pleased with himself. He snapped out of it quickly though at her next words. "I cannot describe the risk you took by returning here. I presume there was a reason."

"That." Harry pointed from his kneeling position toward the sculpture of Rowena Ravenclaw. "I need to find it… Any ideas?"

"The diadem of Ravenclaw…"

"It's the last one I need to find aside from the snake." Harry nodded as he rose from his position on the floor. Offering her his arm again, he could still feel a dull ache when it was strained from the wound made by Bellatrix' dagger. When they were both standing again, she called him on it.

"Your forearm."

"It's nothing." He shook it off, but he knew he wasn't going to be so lucky, so he went into a brief explanation. "It will heal in time. Bellatrix Lestrange missed her intended target." That seemed to do for now as McGonagall nodded sharply before returning to a previous topic.

"The diadem of Ravenclaw has been lost for centuries, No one alive has seen it."

"No one alive…" For some reason, that struck Harry hard. He thought of Hogwarts and of his years here. "No one alive… Wait, what about the ghosts; the Grey Lady, Helena Ravenclaw?"

"It's possible. The diadem was her mother's." Minerva thought aloud as Harry retrieved her wand from the floor. When he handed it back to her, she pointed it at Amycus and Alecto. Immediately, thick cords came from its tip and bound the brother and sister together. Once that was done, she placed a silencing charm on them. "That will keep those two out of the way, or at least for the moment." She then cast the patronus charm and five silver tabby cats appeared and vanished from sight as they left the Ravenclaw common room.

"Where are they going?"

"Alerting the staff. If I heard correctly, Alecto touched her mark and summoned him here. The castle will be under siege soon enough, and I need the heads of house to be prepared. The younger students must be protected." At that point, Luna came back downstairs and joined them. She picked up Harry's invisibility cloak from the floor and handed it to him.

"They're ready."

"Right, there is no point in remaining here any longer." Professor McGonagall kept her wand out as she prepared to open the door that led out into the corridor. Seeing Harry and Luna disappear beneath the cloak, she shook her head. "I should have known that was how you were getting around undetected."

"You knew?" Harry asked from his place beside her. He had thought that only Dumbledore had known about the cloak.

"I knew they existed." His professor left it at that, and Harry made a wild guess at what she meant.

"He has the elder wand." Harry emphasized the word "He" so as to make the meaning clear. "Took it from Dumbledore's body nearly a week ago."

"How do you know this?" Clearly, he had been right in how she meant her statement.

"It's complicated." Harry said as he moved for the door. "No time to explain just now, though." McGonagall nodded and headed out into the corridor first with Harry and Luna behind her. The silence around them was almost ear-splitting. Even when Harry had been roaming the castle at night, he had never seen or heard it quite this empty. There was usually a ghost, Filch, Mrs. Norris, or even Peeves moving about, but tonight, there was nothing. Harry, while they had stopped near a bend in the corridor, pulled out the marauders' map and was checking the passages and corridors ahead. All was clear on the second floor below, but as they moved past the defense classroom, Harry heard movement from the corridor beyond. He wasn't the only one; Professor McGonagall had reached out carefully and took his shoulder. Even with his invisibility cloak on, she seemed to have known he had been beside her. Glancing down at the map, Harry saw just who was coming toward them. "Snape." He just barely whispered so that she could hear.

Waiting only a few seconds more, they saw Severus Snape round the corner. Fully dressed in his typical billowing black robes, he too had his wand out. When the professors' eyes met, Harry noted that there was no professional courtesy between them anymore. Snape's retained their usual coldness while McGonagall's flashed dangerously in the torchlight. Harry also noted that neither had made a move to lower their wands. Still a few yards apart, they almost looked to be squaring off; or at least sizing each other up, but when Snape spoke, his tone was smooth but still frigid.

"I wonder…" He started with an almost sarcastic air. "What could have drawn you from your bed at this late hour, Minerva."

"Amycus Carrow's shouting." She answered just as coldly. "Angry that he could not enter Ravenclaw Tower."

"Indeed." Snape's eyes wandered the corridor beside her, and Harry was thankful that he had been practicing at occlumency over the summer. He had a bad feeling that Snape was searching for something. "Tell me, where are Amycus and Alecto?"

"I was forced to allow Mr. Carrow into Ravenclaw Tower, and he had a bit of an argument with his sister. The last I saw of them, they were leaving for the dungeons." Minerva answered with an even but distasteful tone. Harry had to admit that what she said was believable.

"I see." Snape said silkily, but his eyes were now focused on his colleague. "And have you, by chance, seen or heard anything from Harry Potter this evening?" There it was again, that sneer that almost certainly meant he was using legilimency.

"I have not, Severus." Her tone was icy now as she took a step forward. "The last I heard was from the Carrows speaking of his possible capture at the hands of Fenrir Greyback nearly two weeks ago." Harry was satisfied to see Snape look slightly taken aback at this news. What she said next changed that shock into anger. "And I trust you know by now that using legilimency would be a colossal waste of your time. Suffice it to say you are not the only skilled occlumens in this castle."

"Do not protect him, Minerva." Snape's words came out in a growl as he took a step forward as well. "The consequences of your actions would be severe should you attempt to keep him from the Dark Lord."

"Only a coward would depend on such a creature to ensure his victory." Minerva glared daggers at Snape as she continued. "Dark Lord indeed; torturing students, enlisting the service of rabid beasts such as Fenrir Greyback, killing entire families in search of the slightest victory…"

Snape said nothing, but as Professor McGonagall finished that last part with gritted teeth, he sent a spell toward her which she deflected. From that point on, she was silent; using one of the torches on the wall to create a ring of fire that she flourished like a burning lasso and sent it toward Snape. He quickly turned it into a snake that rose and prepared to strike her. With a harsh flick of her wand, Minerva vanished the large serpent; smoke remaining in its wake, which she transfigured into a swarm of razor sharp daggers that went hurtling toward the headmaster. Snape reacted just in time by diving behind a suit of armor and forcing it to take the damage for him. When McGonagall raised her wand again, she was surprised to see the suit of armor that Snape had hidden behind twist to grab him. Not daring to look away, she sent the daggers that hadn't hit the armor's chestplate back around to attack again. This time, they were set ablaze by Snape and sent after her, but were instantly dissolved into icy mist as someone moved just past Harry and stood at McGonagall's right.

"It ends here, Severus." Madam Hooch stood with her wand pointed directly at Snape; hawk-like eyes gleaming in the firelight. "You'll be vastly outnumbered soon enough."

"How did you-"

"Unregistered animagi can get away with just about anything." Harry watched Snape's anger growing. "I've been here well on nearly three months now."

From behind them came the sound of two people running. Harry turned his head just enough to keep an eye on what was going on ahead but still get a good view from behind; Professors Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout were racing up the corridor to meet them. The charms professor was drawing his wand while Professor Sprout already had hers out and was pointing it at Snape. When the headmaster saw two of the other heads of house coming to assist his opposition, he darted out from behind the remains of the suit of armor and bolted. This left McGonagall, Hooch, Sprout, and Flitwick to go tearing after him. Harry managed a look at Luna and pocketed the marauders' map quickly. Once done, he handed her the cup with Hufflepuff's badger engraved on it.

"Get back to the room of requirement and let the others know what's going on. So far, it looks like your path is clear. Then get this to Hermione and Ron; remind them that once I find the diadem, I'll need something to destroy it with." Luna nodded and darted out from under the cloak to take a passage not far from their position that would lead her to the fifth floor. This left Harry to head after the teachers and find out what became of Snape before he started his search for the Grey Lady. Following the sounds of spells and shouting, he saw the teachers chase Snape into one of the other classrooms. He also saw Horace Slughorn rushing to join them. It made sense that McGonagall would involve the other heads of house and any other allied staff. Harry did have to wonder though; where did that fifth patronus go?

"Coward!" Harry had just entered the classroom and was watching as Snape was hurled through a window and sent flying off into the snowy night; Minerva glaring after him. "Coward!" Eyes lingering on the broken window for a second more, she turned back to the staff that had followed her into the classroom. "Well," She addressed them all in something of a pleased but frustrated tone. "It seems our headmaster has, to turn a muggle phrase, done a bunk."

"Coward indeed." Sprout muttered as she stared at the place where Severus Snape had "flown" from the classroom. "Must have learned that from his master."

"Merlin's beard…" Slughorn, who was now staring between the other teachers in bewilderment. "What brought this on, Minerva?"

"A sudden arrival." Crossing the room, Professor McGonagall searched it with her eyes but didn't seem to find what she was looking for. "Potter, I assume you're here."

"Impressive duel, Professor." Harry decided on using her formal title due to present company as he revealed himself. Slughorn's jaw dropped while Professor Sprout let out a slight gasp in surprise.

"As it happens, it was most opportune, given the circumstances."

"Harry?!" Slughorn, who had managed to close his mouth finally, looked from him to Minerva. "How… What are you…"

"I have to find something here in the castle;" Harry answered Slughorn while also speaking to the other professors. "Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

"Ravenclaw's diadem…" Professor Flitwick had spoken up with a slight squeak of interest in his voice. "It has been lost for centuries."

"Which is why he will need to find the Grey Lady." McGonagall nodded as she finished Filius' thought. "Rolanda."

"I know where she usually spends her time." Madam Hooch said quietly while flicking her wand absently.

"Right then." McGonagall's tone quickly took on its usual businesslike sharpness. "Pomona, Horace, Filius; go to your houses and wake the students. Have them in the great hall within a quarter of an hour's time. I will do the same for Gryffindor. We will need to sort out how we will protect the younger students and the castle as a whole. I should tell you this;" She paused as the others turned back to look at her. "Alecto Carrow managed to touch her mark while in Ravenclaw Tower earlier this evening. We are on borrowed time." She turned to the flying instructor and Harry again; addressing them as the three heads of house nodded at their instructions and were leaving. "At least find out where it is hidden, then join us in the hall."

"Got it." The pair nodded and left with the acting headmistress for the grand staircase. This would lead her toward the seventh floor and the other two down toward the dungeons. Harry could see Professor Flitwick heading back toward Ravenclaw Tower while Slughorn and Sprout were heading for the staircase as well.

"They're coming, Rolanda." There was an odd note in Minerva's voice now as she, Madam Hooch, and Harry moved swiftly along the corridor behind Professors Sprout and Slughorn. "We will need every possible defense in place."

"I was thinking along the same lines." Hooch said with a slight upward curve to her lips. "The grounds can defend themselves, given the right provocation, but in the air…"

"Something like a wizarding airstrike?" Harry suggested. This left the flying instructor nodding.

"Exactly." She thought for a moment as they neared the staircase. "Possibly involving bludgers."

"You would bring quidditch into this…" Neither Rolanda or Harry could miss the amusement in the headmistress' tone.

"Charm a bludger the right way, and they'll go after the death eaters like a pack of mad dogs." When they finally reached the stairs, they had to wait for them to stop shifting. Madam Hooch took the time to finish her thought with a grin. "Potter's got experience with that."

"Don't remind me. Damned thing broke my arm."

The stairs had finally stopped moving and Harry, Madam Hooch, and Professors Sprout and Slughorn headed down while McGonagall headed up toward Gryffindor Tower. The further he went down, the more tension built within him. She had been right; they were on borrowed time. Voldemort would have his forces here soon enough, and no one in the castle was really prepared. When they reached the entrance hall, Sprout headed toward the kitchens while Harry and Rolanda headed with Slughorn down toward the dungeons. They split off from him, and Harry could recognize the corridor they were on. It was the same one that he, Ron, and Hermione had veered off on when attending Sir Nicholas' "Deathday" party back in second year. Lost in thought of that corridor with its blue flamed black candles, Harry almost missed what the flying instructor said.

"I'll give you some advice on how to handle the "Grey Lady", Potter." Madam Hooch had stopped near a bend in the corridor that led to the dungeon where he might find the Gray Lady. "Do not address her by that name. She takes offense to it."

"Her real name is Helena, isn't it?" Harry made sure he was correct before venturing forward.

"Yes, Helena Ravenclaw. She's Rowena's daughter. Personally, I'd start off the conversation by mentioning that you want to destroy the diadem and why."

"Why is that?"

"If you ask her outright to assist in finding the diadem, I'd say it's a safe bet she'll assume you want it for personal gain, just like the others who have asked before."

"You've talked to her about this, haven't you?"

"Not in detail. It was a very limited conversation… a long time ago." Madam Hooch said flatly. "She isn't the most social about this; I'll just tell you that. Good luck."

"Thanks." Harry went around the bend and headed into the dungeon. Cramped with shelves, old desks, and large amounts of old books that had either been confiscated or just left here, he looked around the torch-lit room for any sign of the pearly figure that he hoped was the Gray Lady. He weaved through shelves and around the desks but didn't see her at all. Only when he came to the back of the room where a small line of bookshelves stood loaded with spellbooks did he finally find her. While approaching, he saw her silver eyes land on him.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Harry began as he made his way toward the pearly figure of the young woman. "But do you mind if I have a word with you?"

"You have come all this way to find me." She said in a hollow and slightly echoing voice. "Would it not be a waste if you didn't?"

"You're Helena Ravenclaw, aren't you?" Knowing the answer already, Harry wasn't sure why he asked. It seemed to do him some good however, seeing as the woman before him nodded smoothly. "Do you mind if I call you that? I suppose being called the "Grey Lady" isn't pleasant."

"I was Helena Ravenclaw while I lived." The ghost answered in that same hollow tone. "I do not prefer the nickname given by students here. You are kind to ask if I would speak with you."

"I know the feeling of people wanting to talk when I only wish to be left alone." It was true. He had felt that way after Cedric and Sirius had died, along with other times in his life. Even when Dumbledore had been killed, he hadn't wanted to take that walk with Rufus Scrimgeour, but he had. "This may be an unpleasant subject, but…" He hesitated and remembered what Madam Hooch had suggested. "I've come back here to destroy your mother's diadem." He saw her recoil slightly at the mention of it and hastened to explain. "Please, I don't want it for myself. I need to completely destroy it."

"Another sought to destroy the diadem years ago." Helena said bitterly as she turned away from him. "He lied."

"He's lied to many people." Harry began, but he was cut off quickly.

"I know what he's done! I know who he is!" Her voice echoed throughout the chamber they were in, and Harry couldn't help but feel as if an icy hand had just wrapped its fingers around his chest. "He defiled it with dark magic!"

"He did worse than that." Harry said; his voice was slightly weaker than he would have liked. "He murdered and concealed part of his soul within it. That's why I need to destroy it, Helena. I need that part of him gone so that all of this can end."

"He found it where I hid it centuries ago." This wasn't completely expected, but Harry listened regardless. "When I was alive, I attended this school, was sorted into my mother's house, and was seen only as "Rowena's daughter"." The pearly ghost finally turned back to Harry. "I was angry; bitter at the fact that I was considered nothing compared to my mother. One day, I ran away; taking the diadem with me to Albania." At this point, her tone changed to one of regret. "My mother… She concealed the loss from the others; made it seem as if she was still in possession of the diadem. I wanted to become more cleaver, wiser… She hid the thievery and my betrayal."

"You hid the diadem in Albania?" Harry asked; he remembered hearing that people had thought Voldemort had spent vast amounts of time hiding in the forests of that very country. "Did you ever return it?"

"No." Shaking her head, Helena turned away from Harry again. "My mother became fatally ill, and she was in hopes of seeing me again She sent the Baron to find me, but when he did, I refused to go with him. He did not tell me why he had come; only that I should return with him." Finally, when she did turn back around, Harry couldn't really read her expression. "He flew into a rage and I was murdered at his hand. He regretted his actions instantly; having harboured feelings for me that I never returned. He killed himself."

"The Bloody Baron…" Harry had to take a moment to wrap his mnd around this. "He killed you and then himself?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." Harry knew that this was probably the last thing she wanted to hear, so he clarified. "I'm sorry that you went through that; both then and now." Changing direction, he decided to try to get the current whereabouts of the diadem. "Do you know where it is now?"

"I know where he hid it."

"Please, tell me." Harry looked directly at her as he continued talking; his green eyes meeting her silver ones. "Help me destroy it, Helena; help me destroy him."

"It's here in the castle;" Helena said this after considering Harry for a moment. "In the place where everything is hidden." At Harry's look of slight confusion, she added with the faintest smile. "If you must ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask."

It hit him; the room of requirement, where he and Ginny had hidden his potions book that had once belonged to Snape the previous year. He had seen many things in there: the vanishing cabinet, several items of rubbish, banned spellbooks, and a rusted looking tiara that had been placed on the knobbly head of a statue. Looking to the ghost ahead of him again, Harry couldn't help but show his appreciation with a warm smile. "Thank you, Helena."

Harry left the dungeon quickly in an attempt to get back up to the great hall. He could hear feet pounding above him as many made their way down the staircases toward the entrance hall. The roar of chattering met his ears, but what he hadn't expected was the silver flash that moved quickly past him as he opened the door that led to the entrance hall. The thing had gone right through him and when he felt the icy effect, he could only assume it had been the ghost he had just spoken with. Getting across the entrance hall before the crowd made it down, Harry entered the great hall to find it full of his fellow Gryffindors and those who had been in the room of Requirement before. He also saw new faces: Fred, George, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and even Percy Weasley were standing huddled with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione in a corner talking. Remus and Tonks were speaking in low voices with Kingsley Shacklebolt, and even Aberforth Dumbledore and Augusta Longbottom were nearby. There were also other members of the Order that Harry recognized and those that he didn't. Alastor Moody was having a word with Poppy Pomfrey in the corner near the teachers' table. As Harry walked through the hall however, he heard someone call his name. He then heard the footsteps of others coming to join him.

"Potter, I assume you know where it is, then."

"I do." He nodded as he approached Minerva McGonagall, who stood at the center of the teachers' table. "I found out just now."

"Good. Now to figure out what to do with the underage students…" The headmistress cast her eyes over the hall and stopped when she saw the doors opening again. A mass of students and the other three heads of house were entering quickly. Organizing their students as they normally would have been in the hall, they called for silence and the entire room's low hum of conversation died down to a few select whispers. Harry stepped back to where he knew Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were waiting while McGonagall addressed the hall. "I know that many of you will have questions as to what is about to occur here this evening." She said in a clear and level tone. "There is no time to answer any of them. Suffice it to say that as of this evening, Hogwarts is no longer safe." Harry had heard that from Albus Dumbledore in his second year, and although he new it to be true, the thought still worried him. "With that in mind, all students under the age of sixteen will be escorted from the hall so that they may be evacuated to a safer location. Anyone that Is at least sixteen years of age may choose to remain." This didn't seem to make matters easier. Anyone could tell that McGonagall wasn't happy with students of any age staying and aiding in the war effort.

"Where shall we send them, Minerva?" Slughorn's question was one Harry had anticipated, "There's no safe place within the castle."

"Take them back through to my pub." Aberforth Dumbledore had spoken out from his place with Augusta Longbottom. "I'll have them stay in the inn until it is safe to move them through the floo."

"Shouldn't take too long for that." Kingsley Shacklebolt said quickly. "The Ministry will act soon enough and no one will be monitoring the network when the fighting begins."

"It's settled then." McGonagall said with an ounce of relief in her voice. "Aberforth will lead them out of here." The younger students, some protesting, were silenced by a loud bang issuing from her wand as she addressed them with a deadly serious afterthought. "I will have as little loss of life as possible this night. Now, go." Turning back to the other teachers as Aberforth led the younger students away toward the seventh floor with Neville showing the way, Minerva eyed them all. "Now, we will need to secure the castle. Take your positions. The rest of you," She addressed the remaining students and Order members in the hall. "Organize yourselves and prepare for the worst."

Seeing a flurry of movement around him, Harry could see most of the adults murmuring to themselves while some of the students looked around confused. He chose to leave the hall and look out at the grounds, where McGonagall and Sprout were headed. He was passed by Professor Flitwick, who was taking a position near the base of one of the nearby towers. The charms professor stopped just short of the other two teachers as Horace Slughorn, Poppy Pomfrey, and Madam Hooch stepped outside of the entrance hall as well to take up predetermined positions in the castle's immediate grounds.

"You know that nothing we do will keep out You Know Who indefinitely." Flitwick said as he withdrew his wand again.

"That does not mean we cannot delay him." McGonagall said defiantly. "And his name is Voldemort. Filius, you might as well use it; he's going to try to kill you either way." Harry was half stunned at the fact that she had used his name. He had never heard her refer to him like that, but then again, there wasn't much opportunity as of late. Stepping to her left, he watched as she faced the castle and raised both hands into the air. In a clear and almost ringing voice in the stillness, she spoke. "Piertotum Locomotor!"

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. From the open doors that led into the entrance hall to the statues that were carved into the stone exterior, all of them were animating and dropping down to the ground. The winged boars at the distant gates were flapping their wings, and even suits of armor were clanging as they dropped from their pedestals. Stone sculptures were leaving the castle's walls and awaiting orders while suits of armor, smaller sculptures, and the like were waiting in the entrance hall nearby. Several other thumps and bangs could be heard from the castle's upper floors. Once there were a fair few of the larger statues on the grounds, Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protectors. Do your duty to this castle!" She then pointed her wand straight up in the air and began muttering an incantation over and over while wisps of silver flew from her wand tip. "Protego Maxima Fianto Duri Repello Inimicum!" She continued to repeat it, and Harry could see the same jets of silver coming from several locations. Apparently Professors Sprout, Slughorn, Flitwick, Madam Hooch, and other staff members were using the same spell. Following where the wands were pointed, Harry saw a silver mass forming high above the highest point on the Astronomy tower. When It really started taking shape, he was amazed; the silver mass was leaking down to form a dome-like shield over the castle, and it was expanding into the grounds.

"When I was younger, I always wanted to use that spell…" Harry had been watching as the dome-like shield charm had sealed around the outskirts of Hogwarts' grounds, and hadn't noticed that the witch beside him had stopped muttering the incantation for it. When he turned to look at her again, he saw that Alastor Moody and Molly Weasley had joined them. When McGonagall spoke again, there was a weariness that Harry never would have thought to hear in her tone. "Now that the time has come for it, I regret ever thinking it." Other students, present and former, had started coming out onto the grounds with the shield charm fully in place. Among them were Ginny, Seamus, Neville, and the entire quidditch team Harry had started off on in his first year. There were others from different houses coming outside as well. The headmistress surprised most by turning to Neville. "Destroy the bridge."

"Hang on…" Neville blinked in slight confusion. "I don't understand….You're actually giving us permission to do this; to blow it up?"

"That is correct, Longbottom."

"But how do I do that?"

"I suggest you confer with Mr. Finnegan." At this next comment, Harry had to really work to suppress a snort of laughter along with the others. "If memory serves, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."

"I can bring it down." Seamus volunteered, and the other students grinned.

"That's the spirit." Madam Hooch said as she rejoined them. "Now, I need competent flyers with good aim."

"Thinking of hit-and-run bombing tactics, are you?" Charlie asked and he was given a sharp nod in response. "Count me in." There was a murmur of agreement, and the Weasleys as a whole were given a sharp and warning look by Molly, but in the end she nodded her approval.

"Good then. Search the broomshed and find the best models you can get your hands on." The flying instructor said as she replaced her wand in her sleeve. "And meet me on the flying pitch." At this point, anyone with a history on their house quidditch teams stepped forward and began heading for the broomshed. Ginny paused and looked back to Harry before calling after George.

"I'll catch you all up." She said as she doubled back and looked Harry over before speaking with him. "Harry, Ron and Hermione said they'd meet you in the entrance hall. They wanted me to pass that along."

"Thanks." Harry had begun to wonder just why they weren't out there on the front lawn. Whatever they were doing, he hoped it had to do with the horcruxes. He had a plan if they didn't, but that would take time that he didn't quite have. He saw Ginny coming toward him, and instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her while she did the same to him. "Fly safe." He said as they prepared to pull away.

"You keep yourself safe." Ginny responded with a nod and a smile. "Didn't spend all this time contemplating our relationship just to have it snatched, did I?" This left Harry slightly stunned. It was true that he hadn't truly wanted to break it off with Ginny over the summer, and he had thought that he was only half doing it at the time. Hearing this made his heart soar.

"I S'pose not." He grinned, and she hugged him tighter. This was met with wolf whistles from Fred and George; the twins had hung back, half knowing what was going to happen.

"I'll kill them." Ginny muttered before kissing Harry on the cheek and tearing off after her brothers. From there on, everyone could hear her shouting at them. "Keep dogging me about that and I'll hex you into the next century!"

Harry had no sooner grinned at Ginny's threats to her brothers, when the doors to the castle opened again. This time, Argus Filch came out and was wheezing heavily. He was followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin. The latter two looked a lot better for wear. Kingsley spoke while Filch's jaws worked in contempt. Harry imagined that seeing all of these students out of bed was really a shock to him.

"The Order is moving to positions around the castle. Remus and I will handle this side." He indicated just past the flying pitch. "I'll suggest sending a few more wands that way."

"It is the quality of a wand's conviction that will guarantee success, not the number of followers." Remus said quietly. "Those determined will find a way." No sooner had the words left his mouth when everything went silent. Professors, students, and Order members all paused in their movement. Harry could hear faint whispering as if it were coming from the darkest corners of his mind, but the voice echoed and grew in volume as the silence continued. Finally, the whisper was deafening; as if someone had used a powerful "Sonorus" charm to magnify it. He could feel his scar prickling as it spoke.

"I know that some of you wish to fight…" The ear-splitting whispers of Lord Voldemort filtered through the grounds. "And many believe that to fight is wise, but this is a folly. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts castle untouched." At this point, people were looking at each other and back at Harry while the whispers faded, but it seemed Voldemort was not finished with his demands. "Give me Harry Potter, and you shall be rewarded…"


	13. To Save The Prince

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Thirteen: To Save The Prince_

 **A/N:** Well, getting into the home stretch, lads. I'll say this about the last chapters. I had hoped to have posted some of these sooner, but I've been abroad for te last three weeks. Thankfully, I'll be able to post more frequently, seeing as I'm home again. Also, I normally don't do this, but I figure I should.

I've no issue with flames or criticism, but I make an exception when it comes to simple ignorance. There have been a few reviews that have suggested that I either have no idea of what I am doing or that I have not put effort into this; using only canon events. True, I've used canon events, but I've tweaked them for a more positive outcome. I'll say this very plainly though: If this is not to your satisfaction, then don't continue reading it, chaps. Simple as that. For those who enjoy it, then thanks for reading and by all means, I hope you find the rest as enjoyable. Forgive my being blunt, but it had to be said. Now, here is chapter 13.

* * *

The thought of simply seeking out Voldemort was unsettling due to the fact that there were still three horcruxes to destroy. The cup was still safely in his pocket but the diadem and snake were out of reach. Harry looked to the open path ahead that led into the open mouth of the bridge, but was torn from his thoughts instantly.

"Don't even give that a thought, Harry." He hadn't expected to hear Remus' voice, but as he turned to look back, it seemed Lupin had beaten McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley in speaking first. "Do what you have to do to end him, but be sure you are ready before you do."

"He's right, dear." Molly said as she looked out toward the forest as well. "Just empty words..." Harry could tell she was remaining strong of tone, but he wouldn't want to guess at what she was thinking. He knew for a few years now, that the Weasleys had practically accepted him as another one of their own, and he couldn't be more grateful. She was protective to the point of what some would call smothering, but Harry would have her no other way. Molly Weasley was a polar opposite of his relatives.

"Though the intent seems clear, no good will come of it." Professor McGonagall said this quietly as she released his shoulder. "He intends to kill all those who resist him in the coming hours.

"It's happened before; him going back on his word." Harry said as he remembered Pettigrew's fate. Voldemort had given him that hand and in the second Wormtail had hesitated, it had strangled him back at Malfoy Manor; that and what had happened with Helena Ravenclaw and the diadem.

"And you can be sure it will happen again. You know his mind, Potter; you've seen into it. He is capable of betrayal in its highest form."

"You're right." Harry conceded to that fact, but the tempting offer was still there. "I've got a diadem to find." He tore his eyes from the path ahead and moved back toward the castle's entrance hall. As he ascended the stone steps, he was aware of several eyes on him, and Harry had to count himself fortunate for having people that were willing to risk their lives for his safety. Of course, this battle was much bigger than that, but still. He didn't have much time to think on that as he crossed the castle's threshold, because Ron and Hermione met him. Both looked slightly flustered, but when they spotted him, their expressions changed.

"Harry!" Ron spoke first. "It doesn't really matter if we find the horcrux." He paused in this statement, and Harry had to wonder what he meant.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter if we find it if we don't have a way of destroying it." He finished, and Harry nodded in understanding. "So, we've been thinking…"

"Well, actually it was Ron's idea; it was completely brilliant." Hermione corrected quickly.

"You destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with a basilisk fang…" At this, Harry nodded again. "Well, we think we know where we might find one." Ron finished quickly.

"Right…" Harry rummaged in his mokeskin and pulled out the marauders' map quickly. "Then take this; that way you can find me when you get back. For now, I'm headed to the room of requirement."

Moving up the stairs, he knew that they weren't too far behind him. Ron and Hermione only had to go to the second floor, if he was ight in where they were going, but he moved past their destination and headed back for the seventh floor. He could hear Remus and Kingsley behind him as they made their way up to the third floor of the castle. Remus was discussing tactics with someone while Kingsley sent another lynx patronus off somewhere. Madam Pomfrey was the last to leave him as she headed back for the hospital wing on the fourth floor. Harry assumed that she was going to get any students that may still be in the ward out, but there was also a possibility that she was getting more medical supplies for the upcoming siege. After a few flights traveled in silence, Harry emerged onto the seventh floor and movedfor the blank stretch of wall that he knew hid the room he needed. When he found it, he thought hard and muttered under his breath.

"I need a place to hide."

The wall shifted, and the doors formed so that he could push them open. When he did, he saw the familiar masses of collected contraband and the like that had been stowed away here over the decades. Letting the doors close lightly behind him, Harry stepped forward and tried to think. When he and Ginny had come here last year to chuck the Half-Blood Prince's book in a pile of rubbish, he had passed it; a statue with the ratty old tiara perched haphazardly on its brow. Looking over the large room's contents, Harry thought he saw something. Moving through the twisting man-made pathways through the piles of books, cages, statues, and the like, he found what looked to be a large cabinet. With a slight start, he realized that this had been what Draco Malfoy had been repairing or dealing with to get the Carrows and other death eaters into the castle for the assault on the Astronomy tower last year. It was the the twin to the vanishing cabinet that he himself had hidden in for a brief time in Borgin and Burke's shop after landing there by accident before his second year.

Turning past it, he saw a large collection of bottles that looked to once contain cooking sherry. Harry knew immediately that he was on the right track; he had learned that Professor Trelawney had left them here throughout the year since Umbridge had sacked her and Firenze had come to teach at the school. Hanging a left, he had to climb over a low hill that consisted of broken chairs, scorched furniture, and bent or warped shelves filled with all sorts of things. Kicking a cage that contained the skeleton of an animal in it to the side, Harry vaulted over the top of the pile and landed with a crash on the floor. The sounds echoed around the room, but he didn't pay it any mind. He knew he was getting closer.

"Come on… A bit further…" The words had barely left his mouth when he started to hear it; the sound of metal on glass that had led him to the previous horcrux. He had heard it when trying to destroy the locket in the woods with Ron, and in Bellatrix' vault at Gringotts. He used it as a means of narrowing down his choices in paths ahead. Turning to the right, he realized that he was getting further away from it, so he doubled back and took the left. When he reached another clearing in the masses of junk, he heard something that made him freeze; voices.

"Somewhere in here…"

"Got to be here…"

"Shut it, you two!" The third voice hissed, and Harry recognized it immediately. It was the angry whisper of Draco Malfoy. It was logical to assume that the other two were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Harry darted behind another cabinet that looked to have a muggle vault door on it. He could still hear the screeching sound coming from the horcrux, but he had to pinpoint where it was coming from. As he turned his head from side to side, he noted that it sounded stronger from the right. Taking that path, he didn't miss the sound of footsteps coming toward him, and as he managed to spot the diadem in the distance, he was stopped by a hand gripping the back of the robes he wore.

"Potter!" Malfoy's shouting of his name didn't come as much of a surprise, but when Harry turned to face him, he didn't see the slytherin's wand on him.

"Draco." Harry said evenly while looking past Malfoy at Crabbe and Goyle, who were standing in their usual places flanking the blonde. Both still looked as much like gorillas as ever, but they both had their wands pointed at him, while Draco only had his in his hand. "Something you needed?"

"Answers." Draco looked back to his two cronies and motioned for them to lower their wands, but they didn't. Frowning in exasperation, he turned back to face Harry. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why give them back; our wands?"

"Why not?" He hadn't expected to have this conversation, but as he had thought about it at Shell Cottage, Harry knew what he had told Ron and Hermione had been true. "Didn't need them and wasn't going to snap them for spite, was i?" He didn't miss the look of surprise that had passed over Draco's face. Seizing this opportunity, Harry posed his own question. "Now it's my turn: When we were captured, you knew it was me. Why didn't you tell Bellatrix? Even with the stinging jinx, you knew and you certainly knew the others were Ron, Hermione, and Dean." Before Malfoy had a chance to answer however, Crabbe stepped forward and hissed in Draco's ear, but it was loud enough that Harry heard every word.

"Go on Draco, don't be a prat. Do him!"

"What are you doin' here?" Goyle spoke up this time; his voice a near growl as he lumbered forward. "Comin' back to Hogwarts."

"Looking for a diadem." Harry said offhandedly; knowing full well those two wouldn't know what that was. Sure enough, Crabbe turned his narrow eyes on Harry.

"What's a dydum?" He had clearly not heard the word properly, and Harry had to suppress a snort. It seemed he wasn't the only one.

"No time to explain." He went to turn his back on them so that he could take the necessary few steps to reach the statue with the diadem on it. He felt a wand tip in his back and stiffened.

"Not goin' anywhere, you are." Crabbe snapped, and Harry rounded on him while withdrawing his wand again.

"Bugger off." He addressed Crabbe first, and then turned to Malfoy who was just standing there. "This is where you make that choice you didn't get to last year." He saw Draco's eyes widen slightly. "I was there when Dumbledore died on the top of that tower. You said that you had to do it because he would kill you if you didn't, then the others barged in and robbed you of your chance." He ignored Crabbe and Goyle's stupid looks as he stepped forward toward Draco. "You can either do what these idiots and their master expect of you or you can choose to walk away and fight for something worth fighting for."

"Don't be stupid, Draco, do him!" Crabbe shouted as if they were all deaf, and Malfoy's eyes shifted to him for a moment. Harry was prepared to give up on him doing anything proactive, when Crabbe made up their minds for them. He stepped forward and attempted to use the torture curse.

"Crucio!"

Harry dodged the curse and pointed his wand at the taller slytherin before jerking it to the left and muttering "Confringo!" The knockback jinx caused an entire rickety pile of books, sneakoscopes, goblets, and chairs to fall down on Crabbe and Goyle while Malfoy leapt aside and managed to steer clear of it all. While the others swore and went to dig themselves out, Harry gave Draco a piercing look. "Choose wisely." He moved away from the slytherins and managed to get to the diadem before hearing Draco's question.

"What's the guarantee that you'll win this?"

"Dunno." Harry said as he pulled the diadem off of the statue and turned back. "Be greater with one more wand on our side." He looked over what used to be the beautiful trademark of Rowena Ravenclaw and then eyed Draco again. "You didn't want any part of what was going on in your own home, so imagine what will happen if he does win-" Before he could finish his thought, Harry heard something that sounded like a small explosion. Eyes searching the masses of rubbish, he saw towering gold and amber flames rushing toward them.

"Crabbe set the place on fire!" Malfoy shouted over the roaring of the flames as they came closer. He and Harry didn't have much time to think on it though; the fire came at them, and all they could do was run. It didn't matter how far off they were from the entrance. Harry could see the forms of chimera and dragons emerging from the flames; their heads lunging and destroying everything in their paths.

"That way!" Harry said as he cleared an aisle for them to run down. Everything behind them was either falling to the ground and destroying the way they came or it was being consumed by fire. Harry could feel the heat rising as he moved further into the piles of rubbish; sweat was forming at his brow and starting to run down his forehead. The smoke was thick in the air ahead and behind him to the point that he couldn't see two feet ahead of him. To his left, he could just make out the silver-blonde hair of Draco, who looked just as panicked as he felt. Harry had lost all sense of where he was in this maze of forgotten objects, and for all he knew, they were headed in the opposite direction of their intended exit.

"Over here!" Malfoy's shout drew his attention, and Harry looked to his left again. He saw a broom being thrust at him, and Harry instinctively tucked the diadem into his pocket and mounted it. Kicking off from the ground, he could tell that this broom was old, but it would do to get them out. Draco rose beside him, and the two searched through the smoke for the way out. Gripping the handles of their brooms, the two leaned forward and sped up so that they would keep a decent distance between themselves and the flames that were fast approaching. They moved past one particularly large pile of books, and they could see Crabbe climbing up to the top, but as he spotted them, he fired several spells, including the killing curse, and was knocked off balance. As he fell back into the flames, Malfoy turned his head away only to jerk it back around with a triumphant expression. "There, Potter!" He indicated a corner where, when Harry focused, he could see a shard of light coming in from the corridor outside.

Turning sharply, they made a beeline for the still open doors that would lead them out into the corridor, and with each passing second, Harry could feel the flames reaching out to claim them. Already, he saw the talons of a dragon reaching out to catch the back of Draco's broom on fire. Pushing forward, they managed to clear the larger towering rows and columns of junk, but Harry felt a white-hot pain from his foot. Pulling it closer, he realized that the fire had already touched his heel and was trying to spread. He ignored it for the moment and managed to push the broom to its limit so that he was rocketing toward the doors. He could feel it vibrating in protest, but he managed to get close enough to the door to leap from the broom before it stopped working completely. Kicking it back into the fire, Harry rolled away from the doors as Draco flew out and used his wand to slam them shut. His broom crashing against the wall, Droco fell hard against it as well and slid to the floor, and neither of them spoke for several long moments as they took in what happened. After catching his breath, Draco was the first to break the silence.

"Crabbe and Goyle… They're-"

"Dead." Harry managed as he straightened up and pulled the diadem out of his pocket. "Would rather them not die that way, but-"

"Prats tried to kill us with fiend fire." Draco scoffed. "Suppose they deserved it if they were too thick to know they couldn't control it."

"Harry!" Harry turned quickly at the sound of his own name after resting his back against the still warm doors of the now destroyed room of requirement. Ron and Hermione were coming toward them; she had the destroyed cup and Ron had a fist-full of basilisk fangs wrapped in part of his robe sleeve that had been torn at some point. "Finally found you-" Ron paused as he looked over the two on the floor. "What the ruddy hell is he doing here?"

"Ease off, Weasley." Draco muttered as he stood up. "Helped him get out of there after Crabbe set the room on fire."

"It's fine, Ron." Harry said as he looked at his best friends. "I take it you destroyed the cup, then."

"Yes, I did down in the chamber." Hermione offered the cup with a mangled hole in the center of it for him to see. "Did you find the diadem?"

"Right here." Harry put the diadem on the ground at his feet and took the fang that Ron offered. "Once this one is gone, all we need is the last one."

"Still think it's the snake?" Ron asked as Harry brought the fang down on the diadem. He realized then that Harry wouldn't be able to answer them for a moment, however. At that point, he went rigid on the floor.

Harry could feel a sense of anger and very minute traces of dread as he wrapped long fingers around a wand that wasn't his. Looking down at it, he saw the swells in the wood and the narrow tip that indicated he was holding the Elder wand; his pale white fingers gripping it so tightly that his knuckles were almost translucent in the eerie light provided by the wands of his followers.. His heart seized up slightly, and it felt as though there was a hole where something should have been. Taking a moment to recover, he let out an involuntary sound; his voice shaking.

" _My Lord_ …" One man nearest whispered quietly.

" _Avada Kedavra_!" The cold high voice rang out in the silence that followed the man's query, and a jet of green light enveloped him and sent the death eater crashing to the ground. Voldemort turned slowly to look toward his precious Nagini with an uncertain expression. " _Come Nagini, I need to keep you safe…"_

Harry could feel the slight jerk around his navel where Voldemort had disapparated, and he found himself looking back at Ron and Hermione with Draco barely meeting his eyes with an ashen expression on his face. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath and get his bearings, Harry finally muttered "It's the snake… She's the last one; the last horcrux." At this, the two looked Harry over, and Ron made a move to kneel down in front of him. At his next words, Hermione followed suit.

"Look inside him, Harry." They were maybe a foot from him, but Harry could see the anticipation in their expressions. "Find out where he is and we'll have the snake." With that, even Draco got closer to watch as Harry focused.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and willed his mid to be open to his foe's. He could see wooden floors and ceilings, stone walls, and boarded up windows. There were also pieces of chair legs and broken furniture scattered on the floor. He could see Lucius Malfoy standing by one of the boarded windows with a face as pale as his hair.

" _My Lord, might-_ " Lucius began with a quavering voice. " _Might it not be prudent… to call off the attack and… seek the b-boy yourself?_ "

" _I do not need to seek the boy_." Voldemort's anger clearly registered in his tone. " _By the time the night is out, he will come to ME! Do you understand_!" He waved the Elder wand absently, and a shining bubble moved beside him. The snake, Nagini, was inside it. When he turned again, he gripped Lucius' robes and shook him. " _How can you live with yourself, Lucius_ …"

" _I d-don't know_ …" The older Malfoy's eyes were wide and his face held fear and revulsion at the same time.

" _Go and find Severus_." His master hissed as he turned away again. " _Bring him to me…"_

"I know where he is…" Harry said as he reached back to use the door for support. "Hogsmeade… The Shrieking Shack."

"Let's go, then." Hermione extended her hand and helped him up as she stood. Ron rose with them as well, and the three looked back to the staircases that were shifting as people were still running through them. Without a word, they headed for the nearest one, with Draco on their heels. Ron and Hermione seemed to ignore him for the most part as they descended back into the lower floors of the castle, but when they reached the entrance hall finally, Harry turned and looked to the slytherin.

"Still want to make sure we win this?" With Draco's sharp nod, he motioned outside; there were already people attacking, giants stomping around, and swarms of dementors combing through the grounds ahead. "Then help them out there." Another nod left them standing there while Draco headed out into the fray ahead of them. Ron turned to Harry and gave him a quizzical look.

"So you've just accepted that he's on our side now?"

"Can't be picky with this, can we?" Harry managed as they emerged into the courtyard. He could already see that Neville and Seamus had succeeded in blowing up the bridge. This would mean that death eaters would have to take the longer and winding path from the grounds up to the castle. Stepping past the stone steps, all three of them watched as Madam Hooch, Oliver Wood, and Ginny pelted past them from above. The three split off and aimed heavy bombardment curses at the mounds of rock that were no doubt giants on the Dark Lord's side. Once the giants were distracted, Hermione led them down through the courtyard, but she stopped when she saw the werewolf, Greyback, kneeling over someone on the ground. Jabbing her wand forward as if it were a dagger, she whispered something that sent Greyback hurtling toward the opposite wall; he howled in pain as a nasty wound appeared in his abdomen. With a quick look down, Harry and Ron saw that Lavender Brown was shakily recovering and retrieving her wand from where it lay a few inches from her.

Reaching the winding path that led down to the rest of the grounds, Harry, Ron and Hermione navigated it quickly while keeping an eye out for anything coming up behind. There were enough death eaters ahead to keep them busy without a sneak attack. As they reached the places where Seamus had managed to hit the bridge in key points, they found some ways to cross over and make their journey a bit shorter. Some of the columns had folded and crisscrossed to form unstable bridges across the gap, and they were being taken full advantage of. Nearing the end, Harry could spot the whomping willow in the distance. It was fending off its share of enemies; good or bad that approached. Dementors, wizards, and even giants were being thumped by its heavy branches. As they reached a cluster of witches and wizards dueling however, the three used shield charms and the like to ward off stray curses. There were rare times when they would be more offensive and send varying spells flying to disarm, knock back, or stun their opponents.

"Harry…" Hermione called as they cleared the mass of duelists. "Look out!" There were what looked to be solid black clouds forming around them, and with a horrified shiver, Harry knew what they were. The air around them chilled more than it normally was in the bitter Scottish winter. The snow that had continued to fall seemed to grow thicker and harder; flakes feeling like icy points as they fell. A massive swarm of dementors was surrounding them, and Harry's thoughts immediately centered on the events of October 31st 1981. He could hear screams from his parents echoing and the white fog that always came with them. Vaguely, he could hear Hermione's shouting. "Your wand, Harry! Use your wand!"

He didn't even react. His body felt as if it was coming out of a deep freeze as he did nothing but stare ahead. The dementors were coming closer, and their rattling breath sounded like a harsh collective chorus as he could feel a clammy skeletal hand touch him…

The sound of rippling wind could be heard, and the entire area was illuminated by two silvery forms that came rushing toward the three. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched as the white-blue animals simply stood on either side of them and pulsed with a fierce energy. On Hermione's right was a goat; its horns down as if it were prepared to charge. On Harry's left sat a tabby; its claws and teeth bared. Dementors fell back as waves of silvery light came off of the two patronus in thick waves. Only when the area had been cleared and the air warmed up slightly around them did the three look back. The patronus' owners stood with their backs to one another; Aberforth Dumbledore looking toward the lake and Minerva McGonagall's eyes on the burning quidditch pitch. All three nodding and mouthing their thanks, they made it to the whomping willow and Ron used one of its fallen branches to prod the knot on the trunk. Immediately, the branches stiffened and allowed them access to the path ahead. Once inside, Ron spoke first in a low vouce.

"So much for leaving Hogwarts untouched, eh?" He was moving ahead of Harry and Hermione now. "Give him time, and ha's already got giants and some death eaters in the grounds."

"Doesn't have much patience, does he, Ron?" Hermione muttered with Harry's nod. "As for the giants and dementors… well, can't really control them all that well, can we?"

"No, guess not." Ron agreed. "I mean, Grawp was… sensible… but even Hagrid couldn't control him."

"Speaking of, wonder where Hagrid is." Harry said as thy neared the incline that would lead them to the shack. They were still a ways off, but it was closer than they had been. "I heard he was having to run off into the mountains because of supporting me earlier in the year."

"Yeah." Ron nodded. "Hope he wasn't captured."

When they reached the entrance to the shack, Harry stopped them with a wave of is hand. H could hear voices from just beyond the tunnel's exit. Using his wand carefully, he lifted a heavy stone block and made sure to block them from view before gently placing it back on the threadbare rug. The voices they heard were not harsh whispers but calm conversing between two people.

"You have performed extraordinary magic with that wand, My Lord.," Snape's even tones met their ears. "In the last few hours alone…"

"No," Voldemort's objection almost sounded like a forced protest. "No. I am extraordinary, but the wand… resists me."

"There is no wand stronger." They could just see Snape and his master from the bit of an opening the block provided. "Ollivander himself has said it. When the boy comes, it will bring about his end. It answers to you and you only."

"Does it?" Voldemort's question resulted in Snape's raised eyebrows.

"My Lord?"

"The wand… Does it truly answer to me?" The serpentine man began to walk around Snape, and the former headmaster seemed almost nervous. "You're a clever man, Severus; surely you must know…" Stopping as he reached his original place in front of Snape, Voldemort casually held te wand in both hands. "The Elder wand cannot serve me properly because I am not its true owner. It belongs to the one who killed its former master;" He pointed the wand accusingly at the former potions master. "You killed Albus Dumbledore, Severus."

At these words, Snape's mouth opened just slightly as he stared at his master. Harry could almost sense the tension in the room, and he had a feeling he knew what was coming. Chancing a look back at Ron and Hermione, he saw that they too knew. Hermione had her hand over her mouth, and Ron was just staring forward with wide eyes; transfixed on the scene before them.

"You have been a good and faithful servant, Severus, but only I can live forever." With that, he used a disarming charm to pull Snape's wand away and knock him to the floor before turning to the snake in the shining bubble that was now dissipating. "Nagini, kill."

The snake lunged; once, twice, three times, and more. Each bite was met with a spasm-like reaction from her victim. After about seven strikes, she recoiled and joined her master while the man before them lay gripping the wounds he could reach. Harry could hear Voldemort whispering something about moving on, but he had a feeling it was in parseltongue; seeing as Ron and Hermione looked to him in startled confusion. Hearing the sudden disapparation of the Dark Lord, Harry blasted the stone out of the way and moved quickly out of the passage. He fumbled in his shirt to retrieve the mokeskin purse that held his desired object. Reaching into it, he wrapped his fingers around the large phial that had been left to him by Dumbledore. Upon reaching Snape however, he wasn't sure that would be enough. Wounds from Nagini were deep and already looking nasty from where the venom was sinking in, but that wasn't what drew his attentions to the man's face.

"Take them…" His voice was almost a weak gurgle as he tried to keep the wound at his neck from bleeding. Severus raised his other bloodied hand to his temple. "Please…"

"Quick, give me something… a bottle, flask, anything!" Harry ordered. Hermione began digging in her pockets and retrieved a flask that more than likely had contained polyjuice potion in it at one time. With a tap of her wand, it was clean. Handing it to Harry, she and Ron watched as he held it to Snape's temple and collected the swirling misty memories.

"Take them to the pensieve…" Snape managed before letting his hand fall. As Harry was prepared to act however, he spoke again. "Look at me…" When green eyes met black, he managed. "You have your mother's eyes."

In that moment, Harry reacted. He pulled the stopper on the phial of phoenix tears and began applying them to Snape's wounds in small drops. The man's head had already dropped, but his breathing was still ragged. Going for the neck and chest wounds first, Harry saw the tears actually working as quickly as they had when Fawkes had saved him from the basilisk five years ago. While the wounds were not fully healing, they were expelling the venom and sealing the skin so that no more blood could be lost. Harry managed to get to the shoulder and torso wounds last, but he could already hear an improvement in his former professor's breathing. When he looked up again, Snape's eyes were on him; this time, they were wider and more alert. Not really knowing what to say, Harry rose from the floor and collected the half-empty phial of tears and the flask full of memories. When he placed them securely back in the mokeskin and secured it under his shirt, he settled on a question.

"Why did you say that about my mother?"

"Those will explain everything." Even and stronger than it had been before, Snape's voice held no malice as he managed to correct his sitting position. "Why did you bother to assist me?"

"I haven't figured that out for myself yet." Harry admitted. He didn't honestly know, but it had struck him oddly when Voldemort had turned on Snape like that and sent his snake after him. "He was right about the Elder wand."

"Not completely." Severus managed. "There are things he does not truly comprehend; things that might just bring about his downfall."

"So whose side are you on, then?" Ron asked as he found his voice again. "Back in first year, you stopped Quirrell from killing Harry during that match and then refereed the next just to make sure he didn't try it again. Third year, you kept Lupin from attacking us, but turned and didn't acknowledge what we said in Umbridge's office in fifth year-"

"How else do you think the Order wound up in the department of Mysteries?" Snape asked while keeping his tone calm. "There were no other order members within the castle; Dolores saw to that by orchestrating the attack on your head of house the night Hagrid was meant to be sacked."

"So you did tell them, then?" Hermione asked, though she sounded as if she already knew the answer. "If that's true, then why kill Professor Dumbledore that next year?"

"As I said, all your answers are in there." Snape pointed toward the place at Harry's chest where the mokeskin was hidden. "I knew you would return here tonight, and I knew you were with her when Minerva and I dueled in the castle earlier this evening."

"You say all the answers are here?" He motioned to the place where the flask was hidden. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"There are far more complicated things in those memories than I have time to explain." Snape answered evenly. "The pensieve is in Albus' office. Take them there; you will understand."

"And what will you do?" Ron asked warily as Snape managed to retrieve his wand and stand. "Not going to rejoin his ranks and attack the school, are you?"

"Knowing that one is easily discarded as if he were a piece of rubbish does not make one so inclined to return to their master, does it?" Snape asked with a slight coolness to his voice. "I shall do what I can to bolster your efforts, Potter; in time you will understand my position."

Harry nodded and turned for the passage that would lead them back out into Hogwarts' grounds. It was easier than trying to break out of the shack and double back through Hogsmeade. Once they had all entered the passage, Harry lit his wand and started down the narrow way toward the willow's trunk. He had half a mind to have Snape go ahead of him, but kept the urge to say it at bay. Snape hadn't summoned Voldemort, hadn't oved to strike him, or anything else since Harry had saved his life; he just hoped that this was the intention of those tears. Dumbledore's intentions were not exactly always so clear. Only when they reached the mouth of the tunnel did Snape step in front of him. Using his wand, he directed the same stick Ron had used earlier, and he prodded the knot to freeze the tree. Exiting, he motioned for the others to follow. The grounds were more empty, and there were no shouts or battle cries that could be heard. Instead, the air went still again, and Voldemort's whispers echoed loudly throughout the open skies.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain." The whispers, amplified, surrounded them and Harry could just make out people near the destroyed bridge stopping in their tracks. "I do not wish this; every drop of magical blood spilt is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat." Harry, Snape, Ron, and Hermione stopped mid-stride at these words. "In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you." Harry looked up sharply as if to see Voldemort standing just ahead of him, but he knew the man was nowhere near. "On this night, you have allowed your friends and family to die for you. There is no greater dishonor." Tension built as Harry heard that people had died. He didn't want to think of the Weasleys or anyone else losing life because of him. "I suggest that you join me in the forbidden forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I will kill every man, woman, and child who attempts to conceal you from me."

When traces of the whispers faded away, Harry looked back toward the forest but was stopped by a stiff hand on his shoulder. Its grip was hard but steady. Preparing to break away from it, Harry managed to turn and look the former headmaster in the eye. Snape wore a hardened expression that brokered no further arguments; it had been one Harry, Ron, and Hermione had seen many times before when he had taught potions.

"Don't even think about it, Potter." His tone was stern, and Harry found himself stopping in his fruitless struggle for a second. "You do not know the stakes if you rush in and fail now. Go to the castle and to the pensieve. Only then will you be truly prepared."

With that, the four moved up the path that the trio had taken earlier, and they made their way to the now abandoned courtyard. Where there had been people dueling earlier, there was only scarred and cracked stone. They could all see where giants had bombarded the castle and where a few of they had been killed in the process. When they made it to the courtyard, there was a sudden rush of air, and as all of them looked up, Ginny, Oliver, and Madam Hooch came in for a landing. The former two managed a smooth one, while the flying instructor's broom spun out of control and sent her headlong into the stone steps. Before she hit the ground however, Snape had pulled his wand out and waved it carefully.

"Aresto momentum!"

Oliver and Ginny, who had stopped and stared at Snape now had their wands trained on him. He didn't seem to care as he directed his wand toward the ground gently. With it, the former quidditch referee managed a safe enough landing onto the stone steps. No one had time to notice in her descent, but when she stood, they all saw the deep gashes to the side of her face and neck that looked to be barely tended to. In Harry's opinion, it seemed that one or more of the giants had managed to take a wild swing and land a hit. Once Rolanda's eyes focused, she took a firm grip on her wand and trained it on Snape as well.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand;" Her voice was almost gravely due to rage. "Aside from what you've just prevented."

"Suffice it to say that things are more complicated than any of you realize." Snape managed while lowering his own wand. "Potter, to the pensieve; Granger, Wood, Weasleys, to the great hall. No doubt everyone else is there already." He motioned for them to move on ahead before facing the older witch again. "I knew you survived the encounter with those two death eaters at Grimmauld Place, that you made it back into the castle, and that you were in Minerva's office with Potter's owl." He managed with a slightly quieter tone. "In fact, I hoped as much due to the fact that there were things you could learn as an unregistered animagus that most didn't have the opportunity to."

"So you just expect people to trust you with that bit of information?" She retorted. Harry could still hear their conversation as he entered the castle. "After you killed Dumbledore and opened up this school to death eaters, Severus? I assumed you were wiser than that."

"Of course I don't." Snape muttered. "As I told Potter, there are events that are too complicated to explain currently. I must see to it that Potter realizes just what he is meant to do before he does something that could cost us all the war." With that last, Snape entered the castle and headed for the headmaster's office. He joined Harry on the stairs and guided him swiftly away from the soft din of noise that was coming from the great hall.


	14. The Boy Who Lived

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Fourteen: The Boy Who Lived_

* * *

Harry took in the school's battered appearance. The entrance hall was wrecked with the great hourglasses knocked over and broken. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and topaz littered the floor and they too were covered in a thick layer of dust from where the wall looked to have nearly been destroyed to the left of the hourglasses. Portraits were in varying stats of disarray: frames broken, canvas burnt or ripped, and their subjects fleeing from one to another in attempts to find safety. With every step, Harry could tell that the castle itself had been under siege as well as those who inhabited it. He could only hope that most who were here had made it through the evening generally unharmed. To think that they were perfectly alright would have been foolish and naïve.

Getting to the seventh floor relatively quickly, Snape moved ahead of him and reached the place where the stone gargoyle had once stood. In its place was mangled stone with misshapen wings, a face that was missing one side, and a blackened body. When it set its one eye on Snape, the gargoyle narrowed it momentarily before refusing his request for entry. Severus didn't raise his wand; instead, he stepped aside and motioned Harry forward. As the gargoyle laid eye on him, it reconsidered and hobbled over to allow them access to the spiral staircase that led to the headmaster's office. At this, Harry couldn't help but comment.

"I think it recognizes a new headmaster."

"Just as well." Snape said quietly as they moved further up. "I never truly wanted the post."

As they entered the office, Harry saw that most of the headmasters and headmistresses in the past were feigning sleep as usual. The one called Everard was leaning against his frame while Dyllis sat in her chair as usual. Phineas Nigellus Black seemed to be the only one with half an eye open that Harry could tell. Albus Dumbledore was in his golden frame looking down his long crooked nose at them, but his eyes too were closed. It seemed that he was genuinely sleeping however. In a situation like this, Harry assumed that he would have been openly awake. Snape however, wasn't concerned with the past headmasters. He had moved to a cabinet and removed the stone basin that used to contain all of Dumbledore's collected memories. Placing it on the large desk, he spoke and drew Harry's attention to him.

"There isn't much time." Harry nodded and removed the flask from his mokeskin and approached the basin. Tipping the swirling fluid into it, he saw them swirling slowly. Snape prodded them with his wand and went on. "Look into it."

"Aren't you coming?" Harry found himself asking this question without really knowing why.

"This is best dealt with alone."

"They're your memories." Harry couldn't stop himself, and the former potions master finally agreed. Pressing his face into the swirling vapor-like liquid, Harry saw a play park with an old tree atop a hill looking down on it. There were two girls in this park; one with dark brown hair while the other had flaming red. They were both swinging, but the redhead, the younger of the two, was going higher and higher. The elder one watched with slight fear as she vaulted out of the swing at its peak. Sailing through the air as if she weighed nothing, the younger one landed lightly on her feet in a way no one could have normally.

"How are you doing that, Lily!" The older one called. "It's dangerous to go off like that!"

"Don't worry, Tunie!" The other girl called from where she stood a good few feet from the swings. "I'm fine, see?" Harry could already recognize the younger forms of both Lily and Petunia Evans. He had never seen pictures of his aunt when she was a girl, but there was just something about her that he found familiar; that and their names were a dead giveaway. "Go on, you try it! It's fun!"

"No…" Petunia slowed her swing and finally stopped. Getting off it, she regarded Lily with a strange expression. "It's as if you flew, Lily… "

"Can't fly, Tunie." Lily grinned as she picked a flower from one of the small patches nearby. It wasn't fully open just yet, but as it touched her hand, the petals extended and opened to their full bloom. "Wow!"

"How did you do that?" Petunia had run toward her and stared at the daisy as it lay open and perfect in her sister's palm. "Lily, how-"

"She's special." Harry turned to look behind him. At the top of the hill stood a boy with black trousers, what looked to be a turtleneck shirt, and a thin black coat. It was odd to see in this weather, but Harry also saw the curtained dark hair and black eyes of a young Severus Snape looking at him. "She can do things that ordinary people can't."

"You're that Snape boy from Spinner's End…" Petunia's voice caught Harry off guard. Turning back to look at his aunt, he saw a slightly scared look on her face. "You're the odd one."

"I'm special like her." The young Severus said as he crossed the gap between himself and the sisters. "You're just jealous because you're normal." This left Petunia in an odd state. She seemed caught between being angry and hurt by his comment. Either way, she turned back and looked at Lily.

"I'm going home! Come on, Lily." She ran off without another backward look at Severus, but her sister stayed; her expression was one of confusion and slight indignation.

"Why do you call her normal?"

"Because she isn't like us." Severus said. Lily had dropped the flower in her haste to look over her shoulder at her sister's retreating form just then, and he picked it up. "You're a witch, Lily Evans."

"That's an awful thing to say!" Lily's expression changed to one rivaling her sister's. "How dare you-"

"No!" Severus attempted to correct himself. "You don't understand! What you just did… It's magic!" He held out the flower to her. It still looked as perfect as it had when she had watched it transform in her hand. "She can't do things like this. I can. You're a witch and I'm a wizard."

"Those things aren't real-"

"Yes they are." Severus said not unkindly as he motioned to the swings. "You jumped out of that swing and landed here. She couldn't have done that. It's accidental magic; happens without you really knowing it."

"But how…"

"Some are just born that way; others come from magic families. My mum is a witch too."

From here, the scene faded out to that same hilltop but later one evening. Lily stood there holding a thick envelope bearing the Hogwarts crest. She had opened it and was reading the letter in her other hand. Harry recognized the writing on it and the acceptance letter much like his own had been when he had turned eleven. The leaves on the tree were starting to turn brown, and the winds were picking up, so it was safe to say that it was nearing September. As he was about to approach his mother, Harry heard a voice behind him; this one deeper, and he had almost forgotten the man was there.

"She was here for half an hour reading that letter and the supply list." It was Severus' current form that spoke now. The man had his eyes on Lily Evans and didn't let them leave her. "Still couldn't believe it was happening. She and I had met in Diagon Alley when getting our school things, and I cannot express how excited she was that it was real."

"So you and she were the same age?" Harry asked. Judging by what Snape had just told him, the answer was obvious. "Aunt Petunia never mentioned you."

"Of course she wouldn't." Snape answered bitterly. "Petunia was jealous of her sister. Why would she mention any part of this world to you when she resented every ounce of it?"

At that point, they could see Petunia coming up the hill to meet her sister. She saw what Lily was reading and was prepared to turn back when she was called back. Her sister's voice was filled with remorse.

"I wish you could go too, Tunie…"

"You heard what that Snape boy said." Petunia said with resentment. "I'm normal, not special like you or him."

"Still not fair." Lily frowned as she folded the parchment and placed it back into the envelope before pocketing it. "I want you to go too; that way I'll actually know someone there…"

"He's going." Petunia emphasized the word "he", and Harry knew who she meant.

"You should give Sev a chance, you know…" Lily said as she sat down on the cool grass. "He's alright; just takes time to get to know him."

With that, the scene faded again, and Harry saw a fleeting moment at King's Cross station where the Evans were saying goodbye to their youngest and Lily was preparing to board the Hogwarts Express. She had already gotten her owl and trunk aboard with Severus' assistance, and was having a quiet word with her sister before the train was to pull off. It did't look to be going all that well, though. Both were tearful, and Petunia looked to be ready to walk off when Lily wrapped her arms around her sister quickly to stop her. Eventually, Petunia did the same, and the scene changed again to show Lily being sorted into Gryffindor and Severus into Slytherin house. Both went their separate ways and Lily sat beside a boy that was unmistakably James Potter.

Through a few more scenes, Harry saw where James and Severus had their run ins with each other; James insulted Severus in front of Lily a few times in order to gain a laugh from his best mate, Sirius, and it backfired in the same way Harry had seen in his fifth year. Lily had stood up for her friend and James was left to try and regain her favor. In one scene however, Lily and Severus were walking along the edge of the black lake near sundown and talking. The topic was one that Harry didn't anticipate, and he was surprised at the conversation's contents.

"I know they're your friends, Sev, but I just don't know…" Lily, now looking to be somewhere around sixth year, stopped in her walk to look at the teenaged boy beside her. "Lucius was enough of a bugger, and now these others are just beastly. They use dark magic on younger students…"

"Have you seen them do it?" The question wasn't defensive. Severus seemed to be aware that the ones Lily was referring to weren't the friendliest lot, but he apparently hadn't seen this.

"They made Fletcher bury his own head in that jammed up toilet on the third floor last month. The door was open and I saw it." She continued her walk with him coming along beside her. "I'm not saying to just stop hanging 'round them, but I just don't want them to try and change you." She gave him a brilliant smile. "Don't want to lose my best friend to something like that, do I?"

"I'll keep that in mind." Their matching smiles faded into black as the memory changed to a stormy night on a cliffside. Harry could just hear the prophecy that Sybill Trelawney had made echoing through the air as the memory solidified. It showed a man, an older Snape, looking imploringly at Albus Dumbledore.

"No! Don't kill me!"

"The prophecy that you overheard did not speak of a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July-"

"Yes, I know, but he thinks it's her son!" Snape insisted. Harry was correct in assuming that "her" meant Lily's. "He plans to hunt them down now; to kill them…" He paused before speaking again. "Protect her…"

"And let the boy die?" Albus' tone was sharp.

"Protect them!" Snape corrected as he shook his head. "Hide them all. I beg you-"

"What will you give me in return?" Harry couldn't believe the question that came from Dumbledore's mouth. Surely, this was not a bargain. Dumbledore knew just how truthful that prophecy was, didn't' he?

"Anything…"

In that instant, Harry saw the bars of his crib, the house alight and whole, but he saw his mother looking at him through those bars. Her face was half in shadow due to the darkness from the night outside. At some points, lightning illuminated the room, and he could see the desperation in her eyes.

"Harry, you are so loved…" He had heard these words before. "Harry, Mama loves you… Dada loves you… Harry be safe. Be strong…"

" _Avada Kedavra_!" Voldemort's cruel shout interjected, and Harry saw the jet of green envelop the scene before him. Turning his head, he saw Severus Snape tense; transfixed on the form of Lily Evans Potter that was now lying on the floor just as it had done when Harry had seen it in Godric's Hollow. Again, the scene changed, and Dumbledore's office came into view.

"You said…" Harry could barely hear it at first, but as the memory solidified, Snape's voice was cracking slightly as he spoke. "You said you would keep her safe…"

"Lily and James put their faith in the wrong person, Severus; rather like you." Dumbledore commented as he turned away from the window. Severus Snape was standing in the doorway leaning against the wall with a defeated expression on his face while the current Snape looked on with a forced blank expression. "The boy survived."

"He does not need protection!" The younger Snape looked up to meet Dumbledore's gaze with one of rage. "The Dark Lord is gone!" His tone was almost choked with emotion that Harry didn't think the man could have possessed.

"Voldemort will return. It is only a matter of time, and when he does, the boy will be in terrible danger." Dumbledore sounded as if he were almost pleading with Severus, and as a last thought he added: "He has her eyes. If you truly loved her…"

"No one… can know." He seemed to pull himself together a bit more as Dumbledore stepped closer.

"I shall never reveal the best of you, Severus." It seemed that Dumbledore had gotten the answer he wanted, and Harry found it to be terrible that he had emotionally strong-armed Snape into something he didn't seem to want to do. Harry had to wonder just how far Severus' love for Lily had gone, though. "So you will risk your own life every day to protect the boy…" At this, Harry could see flashes of is own school days; when he was sorted, the quidditch matches where Harry had nearly been killed by Quirrell's jinx and when Snape refereed, when Severus had stood in the way during Lupin's transformation, parts of the Tri-Wizard tournament, and occlumency lessons in fifth year.

The scene changed again to the ring that Dumbledore had destroyed before the start of term in Harry's sixth year. He saw the ring come off of a hand and spin to the floor. Voices were heard again, and Harry recognized Snape and Dumbledore talking quietly in the headmaster's office.

"The ring… Take this. It will contain the curse to your hand; it will eventually spread, Albus…"

"How long do I have?" Dumbledore's question was not in grief or worry. He seemed to be rather at peace with it. Harry could then see the blackened hand of the former headmaster.

"Maybe a year…" The scene faded at Snape's words, but it then returned to the same office on a later date.

"Do not avoid me, Severus." Albus Dumbledore's voice was sharper than it had been. "We both know that Voldemort has ordered the Malfoy boy to murder me; as punishment for his father's failings in the department of mysteries, no doubt." When Severus looked back to the headmaster then, there was a defiance in his eyes. "But should he fail, one could presume that Lord Voldemort would turn to you;" Another pause, and Snape looked away again but only briefly before returning his gaze to Dumbledore; the defiance gone. "You must be the one to kill me, Severus. It is the only way." At this point, Harry saw the headmaster's fall from the astronomy tower and Snape's utterance of the killing curse, but the memory quickly shifted back to Dumbledore's office.

"There will come a time when the boy must be told something." Dumbledore was sitting at his desk again with Snape standing across from him. "But you must wait until Lord Voldemort is at his most vulnerable."

"Must be told what?"

"On the night that Harry's parents were murdered in Godric's Hollow," Harry again saw lightning illuminate the entrance to his parents' house and James looking up at someone from the floor; his eyes wide open but no life in them. "Something went wrong." Whoever was there moved past James and up the stairs. "When Lily Potter sacrificed herself to save her son, the curse rebounded." Harry could see himself staring through the bars of his crib and reaching out with one hand toward his mother's lifeless shoulder while his other arm held a teddy bear. "A part of Voldemort's soul latched itself onto the only living thing in the room." The viewpoint changed so that Harry could see that it was Severus Snape standing in the doorway of that destroyed nursery. When his eyes fell on the baby and his mother, the man's face contorted in anguish and grief as lightning illuminated it. Even so, Dumbledore's words continued to filter through. "There is a reason Harry Potter can talk to snakes and can see into Voldemort's mind; a part of him lives within Harry himself."

"So… When the time comes, the boy must die?" They were back in Dumbledore's office and the headmaster nodded gravely at Snape's question.

"Yes. He must die."

"You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter so that he can perish at the proper moment."

"Don't tell me after all of this, you've come to care for the boy." Dumbledore's statement made Harry look up at the one to whom these memories belonged, but the present Severus Snape's face remained blank.

"Expecto Patronum!" And there it was; the silver doe that Harry had seen in the forest of Dean that night. Severus' patronus cantered around the room gracefully before dissolving completely; leaving Dumbledore to look back at his potions master-turned defense professor in shock.

"Lily? After all this time?" At this, the room changed to the nursery again, and Harry could see himself again in his crib; Severus Snape on the floor with the body of his mother. He held her to his chest and let his head fall against her lifeless shoulder. Just as quickly, Dumbledore's study returned.

"Always…"

Harry couldn't believe what he had just seen; Snape, the potions master that he was sure hated him completely, was risking his life to protect him? He wasn't really Dumbledore's murderer because they had agreed on it beforehand? It was all too much to fully absorb at the moment, but he found the conversation almost repeating. Just as soon as Snape had admitted that he would always love Lily Evans, he spoke again; posing the same question Harry had heard earlier.

"So when the time comes, the boy must die?"

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded gravely again. "He must die… And Voldemort himself must do it; that part is essential…"

Just as the memories had started, they ended, and Harry was back in the darkened and thoroughly shaken headmaster's study with Snape standing beside him. Gripping the basin for support, Harry couldn't find it within him to look the former potions master in the eye just yet. He kept his eyes on the memories that had stopped moving and used the time to try and gather his thoughts. Snape however, didn't need said time. He turned, and Harry chanced a look upwards. Obsidian eyes rested on him, and he couldn't for the life of him decide on what to say.

"Now do you understand?" It was a simple question but it was one that Harry hadn't expected. He had anticipated an awkward silence or something but not this. "Now you know why all of this has happened; why I protected you, why I attempted to keep the Dark Lord from your mind."

"You did it for my mother." Harry didn't want his voice to hold any anger or resentment, but he was afraid it might have. All this time. Snape had done all of these things for someone who was dead and gone. "You protected me for her."

"Perhaps." There was nothing to give away what Snape may have meant by that, and Harry had to admit he was curious.

"You said my father was lazy and arrogant." Harry began, but Snape raised a hand to silence him. Harry pressed on. "To an extent, you were right; he was arrogant, a bully, and didn't seem to care about those he thought were under him." This left Snape's mouth slightly ajar. "To some extent, I don't think he was right for my mother; now that I've seen who he was at some points in his life," Harry paused to consider the right words he wanted. "But I think there was part of him that genuinely loved her as well; even if he was an immature prat at times." Harry reflected on the memory he had accidentally seen from Snape during his fifth year. "I never forgot what he did to you that day after your O.W.L. It made me ask Remus about it. All he said was not to judge too harshly based on a few moments of immaturity."

"There were more than a few moments." Snape scoffed, and Harry nodded reluctantly.

"I know. I've seen it loads of times." He went on. "There's one thing I don't understand." He looked back at the pensieve and then at Snape again. "Did you ever tell her, my mother I mean, how you felt?"

"I wanted to think she knew." Harry could see that. He had watched Ron and Hermione get closer and fall apart over the years. He always knew Ron had a heart for her, but never quite knew how to express it or realize she was the one he wanted.

"I always wanted to think my father was a good man." Harry admitted. "It was all I had left of him, and I already heard that both of my parents were useless from my uncle." Deciding to leave that where it was for the moment, due to his having no idea what else to say, Harry extended his hand. "Thank you, Sir; for everything you didn't have to do." After a short pause Snape took it, and Harry thought about the other things in those memories that related more to the current situation. "Dumbledore said that it had to happen; I had to…" He couldn't say it, but Snape nodded.

"The Dark Lord himself must do it."

"So I should go to the forest, then." Harry muttered. He was sure that would have to happen eventually, or that it would at least be safer if he did, but knowing he had to die… "The snake!" He exclaimed in anger and frustration. "We didn't kill it. She's the last one-"

"I know." Snape's even tones seemed to calm him slightly, but Harry still felt uneasy.

"If I have to…to die," He managed while looking at Snape again. "Someone has to kill Nagini; otherwise-"

"Otherwise he will still be able to return, yes." Snape returned the memories to the flask and pocketed it before waving his wand to place the pensieve back in its cabinet. "It will be done." He pointed his wand to the door. "I suggest you begin preparing yourself. It will be hard enough going into the forest alone, but it is the only way."

"Right." Harry nodded to Snape and headed for the door that led back out onto the seventh floor. He didn't turn, but as he left the office, he thanked Severus again.

Heading through the darkened castle on his own, Harry had to watch the stairs, but he managed to get down most of the way without incident. He did have to leap over a few stairs that had been blasted apart at some point due to the battle that had gone on in the corridor above. This left him returning to the thought of how many had actually died this night. Passing the first floor, he decided to go into the great hall and chance a look around. Whether it would be harder to leave for the forest, it didn't matter. He owed it to these people who had risked their lives and those of their families to be here. Stepping back into the entrance hall, he saw the oak doors still slightly open from where he and Snape had entered earlier. Those who had been flying were no longer present, and another thought occurred to Harry: Did anyone tell the others that Snape was alive and in the castle? Surely they hadn't; otherwise there would have been an uproar. When he got to the doors that led into the great hall, he eased them open.

Inside were many people; professors, mothers, fathers, Order members, and students all huddled together. To one side, he could see Sybill Trelawney and Horace Slughorn easing a white sheet over someone's body. Harry couldn't tell just who it was, but he didn't see anyone around it that he recognized. Professor Sprout was near a cluster of Hufflepuffs and speaking to them in low tones. Harry recognized Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Ernie MacMillan, and Justin Finch-Fletchley among them. The Weasleys and Hermione were gathered around someone with red hair, and Harry's heart seized in his chest, but he saw the person sit up slowly; wincing in pain. It was Percy. His horn-rimmed glasses were askew, and he looked to have crushed ribs judging by the wrappings around his torso. Poppy Pomfrey was tending to some of the wounded while she spoke in hurried tones with Madam Hooch in a corner; Alastor Moody contributing to the conversation on occasion. To their left, Remus was looking rather perplexed as he spoke with his wife; Harry hadn't seen Tonks arrive, but he was sure she would eventually. He even saw Draco helping Professor Flitwick lift a heavy column as they were attempting to repair it. Turning to leave, he was thankful he hadn't seen anyone he knew lying beneath white sheets or simply looking up at the ceiling dead. There were several that were, but none of them were ones he knew personally.

Leaving the great hall, Harry crossed back over to the oak doors and exited through the gap that had been left between them. He stepped out onto the stone steps and looked out over the ruined bridge. From here, he would walk down the path to the larger expanse of the grounds so that he could reach the forest's edge. It was assumed that Voldemort wouldn't have all of his forces in the deeper trees, but he didn't think that he himself would just be on the other side of the first line of dark pines. As he was about to set off however, he could hear the sound of feet on stone from behind him. Turning, he saw Ron and Hermione standing there on the castle's threshold. Their faces told him that they had seen him enter the hall and had seen him leave; they also said that the two already knew what he was going to do.

"Are you mad?' Ron asked as he and Hermione stepped forward. "We know where you're going, Harry and-"

"And we can't let you!" Hermione finished in a tone that would have brokered no argument if she hadn't been on the verge of tears. Her voice cracked, and Harry had to will himself to keep his emotions under control.

"You can't just give yourself up to him, mate."

"I have to, Ron." Harry answered reluctantly. "There's a reason I can hear them; the horcruxes, and there's a reason I can talk to snakes and see into his mind. I think I've known for a while. You know it too." He saw the first tears leak from Hermione's eyes, and he couldn't keep a breath from hinging in his throat.

"We'll go with you…" She managed before fully dissolving into tears. She wrapped her arms around Harry while Ron came forward as well and stood just beside her; his expression torn.

"No." Harry choked out as he kept most of the lump that had formed in his throat from hindering his ability to speak. "No… Just-Just kill the snake; she's the last one. Kill it and then it's just him." He wrapped his arms around Hermione after shooting Ron a careful look. "Just make sure you kill it…"

"We will, Harry." Ron said quietly. His voice was already cracking as well, and all it did was make things harder. It took all of his strength to let go of Hermione and to turn back toward the path.

"Harry," She managed to compose herself enough to remind him of something. "The snitch… Do you remember what it said?"

"I open at the close…" Harry nodded as he repeated it. Looking inside the mokeskin, he removed the small snitch and nodded again. "Go and make sure no one comes to find me." Seeing the stunned looks on his friends' faces, he elaborated. "I don't want anyone else wandering into that forest. I won't hear him say to Kill the Spare again." At that, Ron and Hermione turned reluctantly and headed back into the castle. When he was sure they were gone, Harry placed the snitch closer to his mouth. "I am ready to die." With that, he put it to his lips and could already feel the gold begin to shift.

Pulling it away, he saw the layers fall back almost like a rose as it started to bloom. When the metal stopped moving, he was looking at a cracked black stone; it was the same one that had been inset into the ring that had put a curse on Dumbledore's hand.

"The resurrection stone…" It remained in the snitch's folds as he started to slowly leave the courtyard, and Harry considered the reasons Dumbledore might have left it to him. Could it have been for such a personal matter? The headmaster knew that Harry would have to take that walk to his own death, and it seemed he did not want him to do it alone. As Harry went along the winding path that led down to the full expanse of the grounds, he carefully pulled the stone from the snitch and placed the golden ball into his robe pocket. When he cleared the path, he turned the stone carefully in his hand. He had an inkling as to why Dumbledore had given him this stone now. It was confirmed when he looked up to see three people standing before him. To the left was Sirius Black, on the right was James Potter, and directly before him was Lily Evans-Potter. Stepping forward, Harry carefully reached out and touched his mother's hand. He could feel skin, her skin, but it was neither warm nor cold.

"You've been so brave, sweetheart." Lily said as she placed her other hand over her son's.

"Nearly there, son." James whispered as he moved closer as well; his solid hand resting on Harry's arm.

"Does it…" Harry found his voice cracking as he tried to form the question. It was something he wanted to know but was scared to hear. His eyes searched all three of them when he finally managed it. "Does it hurt?"

"Quicker than falling asleep." This time, it was Sirius who answered. He had moved to Harry's immediate left now.

"I'm so sorry-" He had to stop speaking for a moment as he looked at each of them again; his voice failing him for the second time. "I didn't want any of this… Didn't want anyone to die for me." The three adults looked on with understanding at him, but they said nothing. Harry slowly started to walk toward the dark outline of the forest, and they moved accordingly. James stepped back while Lily took his place at Harry's right; Sirius remained on Harry's left. He himself focused on his mother and not on the dark shadows that held his end ahead. "Dad, you didn't have time to prepare yourself."

"It wouldn't have mattered either way." James answered gently.

"Sirius, it seemed like you had just been released from Azkaban and were finally starting to get a life back."

"Until this war was over, I wouldn't truly have had that life." Sirius admitted. "Freedom didn't matter as much as your safety."

"And Mum…" He truly was at a loss when he thought of what had happened in that nursery.

"We all knew the risk and accepted them." Lily managed while ghostly tears formed in her eyes. "Going into hiding meant that we were fully aware that he was coming."

"But you all lost your lives-"

"And we would again, if needed." Lily countered gently. "Anything to protect the ones we care for above all else."

"Pettigrew betrayed you all." Harry said bitterly. "He was the reason all of this happened."

"And as I understand it, he paid dearly." Sirius said with a weak smile. "It is sad that we lost a friend to such a man, Harry. It only proves that the promise of power and a measurable amount of fear can corrupt anyone."

"There's something else." Harry said as he turned back to his mother. They were near the treeline now, and he didn't have much time to speak before he would be heard by the death eaters beyond the pines. "Snape, he went there after it happened. He never stopped…"

"I know." Lily managed a fond smile as Harry mentioned this. He couldn't help but stop walking for a moment to take that expression in. Dumbledore had warned Harry of the perils of the Mirror of Erised. The same warning could be applied here. These people were standing before him but they were neither living nor dead. They would not fill the void that had been left when they were taken from him, and they would not become more real in time. He could waste away simply talking to them and being in their presence. The feeling he had in Godric's Hollow's graveyard returned, and it scared him; he wanted to join them. Readying himself for the last steps into the forest, he posed a final question.

"Will you stay with me?"

"We never left." His mother answered in that same voice Harry had heard in his scarce dreams. Gripping the stone firmly in his hand, he resumed his walk into the trees. With each step, the air got colder and his legs became heavier. The trees thickened to the point where he had only one last fleeting glimpse of the castle and the few lights in its windows. Focusing again on the path ahead, he retrieved the snitch and held it in one hand with the stone in the other. Harry could see a fire burning in the distance, and if he listened closely, he could hear whispers. Taking one last look at the three around him, he replaced the stone into the snitch and let it seal tightly again before putting it back into the mokeskin; uttering a final whisper as his parents and Sirius were about to fade.

"I'll see you soon."

Stepping closer to the fire burning on the other side of a line of trees, Harry was prepared for the worst. He had his wand in his robes with the invisibility cloak. There would be no need for either of them at this point, but he felt unbalanced without them. The cloak was his father's and his wand had saved him more times than he could count. As he was prepared to round the last line of trees that separated him from what he assumed was a generous amount of death eaters and their master, he could easily hear a few notable whispers. Stopping to listen, he was thankful he hadn't stepped on the dry twig to his left.

"Well? How long are we waiting here?" It was Yaxley who grunted this question.

"I dunno…" Dolohov was the second.

"We could find him ourselves and spare all this pointless waiting." Bellatrix Lestrange offered, but her suggestion was answered quickly by her master.

"As enthusiastic as that sounds, he should have come to me." Voldemort's words held an almost uncertain edge to them as he spoke next. "However, it appears that he was not brave enough to enter this forest alone…"

Harry made his move and stepped out from the fir trees he was near. As he took in the scene before him, he could see the four he had identified while they spoke, and there were others. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were near Bellatrix, and Harry's heart clenched when he saw who sat looking down above them. Hagrid was being held there; his wrists and ankles magically bound. Moving down the slight incline, he made sure someone heard his footfalls; several death eaters looked up, but Hagrid was the first to speak.

"Harry? No!" The half giant stared helplessly as Harry moved closer and closer to the clearing. "What are you doin' here!"

"Quiet!" Bellatrix hissed at him while Voldemort rose from his position beside her. The look on his face suggested that he hadn't actually expected him to turn up. When the dark lord spoke however, there was no mistaking the triumph in his tone.

"Harry Potter." He spread his arms in an inviting gesture as he removed the Elder wand. "The Boy Who Lived… Come to die."

The tension in the air between them was thick, and there was no mistaking the looks of anticipation and interest on Voldemort's unmasked followers' faces. Red, snakelike eyes met Harry's green ones for a few moments as he made his way closer. There came a point however, where Voldemort didn't want to wait any longer. Raising the wand that had become known as the "Death Stick", he waited only a second longer before pointing it directly at Harry and speaking the words that would bring about his end.

"Avada Kedavra!"


	15. Return

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Fifteen: Return_

* * *

The jet of green and blast that knocked him off of his feet never came. He saw the snake-like face looking at him, and then everything dissolved into a blinding white. Sure he had succumbed to death, Harry found himself lying on what felt like a gritty floor. Something was wrong: why was he still aware? What was this place? His eyes were clearly open, and now that he stopped to think about it, he heard something.

Testing his luck, Harry moved his hand and went to push himself up into a sitting position. Sure enough, he was sitting on a dusty white surface, and as he looked up, he saw a dome ceiling that was vaguely familiar. There was a sound from just behind him; it seemed to be that of a baby bawling. He managed to turn his head to get a closer look, but what he saw repulsed him. It was reminiscent of the snake-like form that had been dropped into the cauldron in the graveyard in Little Hangleton three years ago. Deformed, it was no bigger than an infant, but it flailed its arms and legs as it continued to sob. Harry found he couldn't turn his eyes from it until he heard a voice that he didn't think he would again.

"You cannot help it, Harry." Jerking his head around, he set eyes on Albus Dumbledore. The man was dressed in his usual midnight blue robes; hair and beard shining in the odd light. "You wonderful boy…. You brave, brave man." Extending his now normal-looking hand, Harry took it and stood with him. "Let us walk."

"Professor, what exactly is that?" Harry asked as he took one last look at the creature that was stowed away in what looked like a sideways box. Harry realized that he had woken up beside the open face of it.

"Something that is beyond either of our help;" Dumbledore looked down at the creature again before turning his back on it completely and starting to walk away. "A part of Voldemort sent here to die."

"And where exactly are we, Sir?"

"I was actually hoping you might be able to tell me, Harry." They walked a small distance away, and the box faded slightly in the dusty light, but Harry could still see an outline of it if he looked back.

"Well, it looks sort of like…" Taking another look around, Harry noted that there were more solid objects forming, and the ceiling was becoming more clear. "King's Cross station, except that it's cleaner and has no trains or people."

"King's Cross, you say?" Dumbledore looked around thoughtfully and then continued. "Interesting thought." Walking on away from the box, the pair were on an aimless path. "I trust that you know by now that you and Voldemort were connected by more than just fate since that night in Godric's Hollow many years ago."

"So it's true then, Sir?" Harry kept slow pace with the man beside him. "That part of Voldemort lives in me?"

"Lived." Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "It was just destroyed many moments ago by none other than Lord Voldemort himself." He moved a little further forward and found a bench with its back facing the box they had just left. Rounding it, he continued speaking as he sat down. "You were the horcrux he never intended to make, Harry."

"I've got to go back, haven't I?" Harry wasn't sure what he felt about that. The fact that he was a horcrux before didn't surprise him now that he thought about it. The fact that he wasn't sure if he could just go back was what got him.

"That's entirely up to you." Dumbledore said simply as he leaned back against the bench. "I believe I owe you an explanation, Harry."

"An explanation, Sir?"

"This entire chain of events that has led you here was based on pure speculation. I hoped that I was wrong, but in the event that I wasn't, I made sure that certain things were in place."

"Voldemort thinks that the Elder wand won't serve him properly." Harry managed as he thought about the memories that Snape had showed him. "And about the wand, Sir; did you purposefully put us on the path of the Deathly Hallows?"

"I did." The former headmaster nodded slowly; a sparkle returning to his eyes. "The hallows were something I pursued in my foolish youth. Together, they make one master of death, but I realize that I was not their proper owner."

"Are the rumors true, Sir; that you were searching for them with Gellert Grindelwald?"

"I see you have spoken with my brother." Dumbledore nodded with a sad smile. "Yes, I was searching for them with him. We lost our heads on a quest for power. I was on a path to becoming Minister of Magic, or so most thought. It is interesting how one small mistake can completely change one's outlook on life."

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"I believe you are familiar with the rumors of my sister's death." Dumbledore said as he straightened up and looked out over the train station. "Ariana was attacked by three muggle boys early in her life and my father went after them. He killed them and was sent to Azkaban." At this, Harry could only guess what kind of attack Percival had risked his freedom for. "My sister was not quite the same after that. My mother tended to her the best she could. When she died however, that left me in charge of my family's affairs."

"Had you searched for the hallows during that time, Sir?"

"I did and was still actively working with Gellert to find them. Unfortunately, we had a… disagreement." Albus paused as a pained expression crossed his face. "He and I were prepared to duel when Ariana heard what was happening and came out to intervene." As he said this, a solitary tear made its way down his face. "To this day Harry, I do not know whether it was by my wand or Grindelwald's that she was killed."

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"Aberforth never fully forgave me for the evets of that day." Albus spoke with a level of regret that Harry hadn't heard since they had spoken after the events at the Department of Mysteries. "I haven't forgiven myself, either. That led me to become headmaster of Hogwarts, Harry. That event made me realize that power was one of the things in this world that could corrupt anyone. Grindelwald went on to search and become more powerful as time went on. I finally dueled him and won the Elder wand from him, but I did not kill him as legend has hinted."

"I know." Harry nodded. "He was the one that finally told Voldemort where the wand was; that it lay with you."

"Speaking of Lord Voldemort, you have a decision to make." Dumbledore's expression lightened as he stood again.

"So I have a choice, then."

"Oh yes. We're in King's Cross, you say?" At Harry's affirmative nod, Albus continued. "Well then, I believe that if you so desired, you could board a train."

"And where would it take me?"

"On." Dumbledore said quietly, and Harry realized what he meant. The thing that surprised him most was that he wasn't tempted by it at all like he had been before finally confronting Voldemort in the forest.

"The snake is still alive, and I currently have nothing to kill it with." Harry admitted, though he wasn't sure why.

"Ah, but you see Harry, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Dumbledore said with his usual light tone and a twinkle returning to his blue eyes. "I've always prized myself in my ability to turn a phrase. Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our greatest and most invaluable source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it." The former headmaster had started to walk away slowly, but he turned back to finish his thought. "In light of current events however, I believe I will amend my original statement: Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it."

"I understand." And he did. Harry had heard the original statement back in his second year when Lucius Malfoy had blackmailed the other eleven governors of the school into dismissing Albus Dumbledore after the chamber of secrets had been reopened. Harry had still remained loyal to Dumbledore's ideals then, and his phoenix had come at a crucial time to assist in the defeating of the basilisk and destruction of the diary. As he regarded the headmaster carefully, he heard a distant train whistle and knew his time was short. "Sir, I have to ask; is this all real, or is it all just in my head?"

"Of course it is all in your head, Harry," Dumbledore beamed at him while still keeping a slightly serious tone to his voice. "But why should that mean that it is not real?" Before turning to resume his retreat, he gave Harry one last piece of advice. "Do not pity the dead; pity the living, and above all, those who live without love. I'll be going now, Harry."

"Goodbye, Sir." Harry managed a wave and a smile as the man moved further and further toward one of the platforms; his form disappearing in the dusty light of the station. Closing his eyes, Harry wondered just what he would have to do to return to the forest clearing he had left behind, but as he did, he felt everything shift. He was no longer sitting on a warm bench. He was lying on cold and uneven ground with his wand draped over himself; his right side pressed against a tree root. There were whispers again, and these voices were the same ones he had heard as he had made his way into the clearing. Yaxley and Dolohov were muttering something he couldn't understand, but Voldemort's indignant response to something was what caught Harry's attention.

"I don't need your help!"

"My Lord…" Bellatrix replied weakly in response, but her tone sharpened with her next question. "The boy… Is he dead?"

There was a flurry of movement, and Harry could hear one set of footsteps as someone made their way toward him. It sounded as if all of the death eaters and Voldemort were behind him, or at least his head was turned away from them. Harry lay on his back, and his head was turned to the right, while the voices came from his left. He did not dare open his eyes, however. As the footsteps drew nearer, he did his best to keep his breathing discrete; nose pressed into the light dusting of snow so as to keep the vapors from showing. Whoever it was that was near knelt beside him, and from their scent, he could tell that it was a woman. Thin fingers pressed against his neck to check for a pulse, while her lips came so close that they barely brushed his face when she spoke; her voice just barely audible over the wind moving through the trees.

"Is he alive… My son? Is Draco alive?" Harry wasn't sure how to answer the question that Narcissa Malfoy had posed, but he remembered seeing Draco alive in the great hall before he left the castle. Trying his luck, he cracked open an eye just barely to see her grey eyes meet his. With careful movement, he mouthed "yes". Her fingers wrapped themselves carefully around his neck in a thankful response, and she rose to face the ones behind her.

"Well, Cissy?" Bellatrix questioned hopefully. "Is he?"

"Dead." Narcissa said in a flat voice. At that, Harry could feel the tension in the air dissolve. People shifted carefully and uttered excited responses while Harry could hear Hagrid breaking down somewhere to his far left. Voldemort himself made no statement until he had stepped a little closer to Harry.

"Get the giant. We shall have him present the body of the boy to all of those left within the castle."

In the moments that followed, Harry heard Bellatrix and a few others ushering Hagrid forward, and he felt the gamekeeper's massive hands gently lift him from the ground. Harry was shifted into a position reminiscent of how a mother would carry a baby, and he let his head fall to the left as Hagrid turned toward the castle. One hand in his deeper robe pocket, Harry kept it on the invisibility cloak protectively while the other hand dangled limply over Hagrid's forearm. Keeping in mind that there were going to be people looking at him throughout the trip back through the forest, Harry was careful when he barely opened an eye on occasion. He was checking to see just where they were and how far they had to go. As they cleared the trees however, he noticed that he must have been out for a little longer than he expected. There was a bluish mist gathering over the black lake, and the sun was just barely peeking over the grounds; though it was hidden by thick snow clouds.

They were on the path back up to the main courtyard now, and Harry could feel warm tears falling on him as Hagrid openly sobbed. The half giant was not silenced by his captors, however. They used this opportunity to jeer and sneer while he held the assumed dead body of the boy he had rescued from the shambles of his parents' house. Harry chanced a look around again and saw Bellatrix, Voldemort, and Yaxley at the forefront of the group of death eaters. Hagrid was just to their left. When they cleared the path from the outer grounds, Harry finally closed his eyes again. He could see the front doors of the castle still slightly ajar from where he had left them. He could however, see movement just beyond them. Entering the courtyard, he heard voices from the other side of it. People were talking amongst themselves nervously, but he couldn't make out what they were saying until…

"Neville, who is that?!" It was Hermione's voice. "Who's that Hagrid's carrying…"

"Harry Potter…" Voldemort's voice was strong and it seemed he could barely contain his excitement as he shouted. "Is Dead!"

"No!" Harry had to force himself not to react to this exclamation. It wasn't Hermione who had shouted; he had never heard that amount of despair and anguish in Minerva McGonagall's tone before, and he silently prayed he would never again. It seemed however, that Voldemort was ready to add insult to injury.

"Foolish woman, Harry Potter is dead…" At that point, Hagrid was coaxed forward and forced to place Harry on the ground. As he was moved, Harry chanced a look around through an eye that was just barely open. Death eaters were separated from the resistance by a about a twenty meter walking space. He could see some of the Order of the Phoenix and former members of Dumbledore's Army nearby, but the headmistress was at the forefront of the crowd that had come from within the castle. Harry was placed at Voldemort's feet, and Harry realized that the man was standing in the middle of the divide between sides. As he was closing his eye again, he saw Voldemort motion for all of those in the resistance movement to look down at the body before he spoke again in a taunting voice. "From this day forth, you put your faith… in me."

Harry swore he could hear the headmistress mutter "Never" under her breath, seeing as she was closest to him, but he could also hear the exclamations of his friends. Hermione and Ginny had both made moves forward as he had been placed on the ground, but Percy and Arthur Weasley had held them back. That was, unfortunately, all he had time to see before closing his eye again. Feeling the air stir around him, he assumed that Voldemort had started pacing back and forth, but it stopped just as soon as it had started; his repeated exclamation following, though this time directed at his followers.

"Harry Potter is Dead!" This was met with cheers and laughter from the death eaters. Harry also heard Voldemort himself laughing and actually making exclamations of jubilation along with them. Harry cracked an eye again, and watched as the man turned to the opposition and wore a look of anticipation. "Now is the time to declare yourself! Come forward and join us… or die!" In the moments that followed however, all Voldemort got wad disappointment. Through murmurs in the crowds from both sides, Harry heard Lucius' strangled whispers for his son.

"Draco…" Flitting his eye to the man, Harry saw Lucius motion for his son to come forward. "D-Draco…"

"Draco." Narcissa's voice was even and beckoning, but her face clearly said "stay where you are" without her having to speak. At that, their son remained where he had stood; just to McGonagall's left. Though there was a moment of uncertainty and fear, it was replaced by determination when the headmistress nodded in appreciation toward him. Some of the other slytherins that had remained in the castle came forward and joined their parents, but most of those nearest Hogwarts remained there.

"I had hoped for better." Voldemort said; his voice turning cold. "So all of you will face death rather than join me?" Red eyes cast over the crowd, he sneered as he withdrew the Elder wand again. Harry had just enough time to close is eye again as the man pointed the wand at him and uttered the one word Harry thought would give him away. "Crucio!" Harry's body twisted and jerked as it should have, whether he was alive or dead, but he felt no pain from the torture curse. His eyes stayed shut, but his head fell back sevral times against the ground as his body convulsed. When it stopped, he didn't dare chance a look around, and he was thankful he hadn't. The curse was cast again and again. "The Chosen One lies dead before you! What more do you need to see to know that my victory is sure-" Without warning, there was a rush of heat and a loud bang. Harry could hear an uproar from Voldemort's supporters, but he didn't miss the outraged shout that silenced them all.

"Revolting coward! Did you expect anything different?" Harry's narrowed gaze returned to the headmistress as she spoke. Though not loud in volume now, her words were heard throughout the courtyard; venom dripping from each syllable. "Did you really, Tom?"

"You dare…" Now Harry heard Voldemort's ascent from the ground where McGonagall had clearly blasted him off his feet. His voice rose in volume as he strode closer so that he was nearly a meter from her. "Filthy Half-Blood!"

"I remember the wee boy who created a new name for himself fifty years ago." McGonagall continued; her tone deadly. "He was just as insecure then as he is now. The only thing that has changed throughout the decades is just how desperate you have become."

"You would say such a thing, wouldn't you?" Voldemort scoffed as he turned back toward his followers. "Cloaked in your superiority even then." He addressed the death eaters in a high-pitched and half amused tone. "The blind follower of Albus Dumbledore whose blood traitor mother married a muggle and had the ill sense to mate with it!" This was met with hissing and maniacal laughter. "The protector of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, who now lies dead at her feet! Tell me Minerva, where is your loyalty now? Who will you cower behind!" Harry chanced a look back at the target of Voldemort's jeering and wasn't surprised to see her expression was stone cold.

"Brilliant words coming from a man who needed followers to justify his existence and prove his worth."

"I need nothing!" Voldemort spat as he rounded on her again.

"Then prove it." Harry saw her withdraw her wand and direct it toward him. Voldemort eased the great snake off of his shoulders from where she had resided since their walk from the forest. He then pointed the Elder wand back at the headmistress without the formalities at the start of a duel. When the first curse was sent from McGonagall's wand and Voldemort was forced to dodge it, Harry chose that moment to act. He pulled the invisibility cloak from his pocket and threw it over himself before rising to his feet. Removing his wand from his pocket as well, he aimed an exploding curse at the snake who had reluctantly coiled back up a meter or so from her master. Though it was done without words, it alerted many to another's presence, and Harry could see Ron, Hermione, and Ginny searching the empty divide for him. The curse missed, sadly, but the dust that surged upwards as a result was enough to cause a distraction.

Harry saw many Order members rush forward to duel remaining death eaters, and he saw Narcissa Malfoy move from her husband's side to Draco's. The younger Malfoy was preparing to duel Yaxley. Surprised but grateful, Harry dodged a curse that Macnair sent toward Kingsley Shacklebolt and sent another exploding curse toward Voldemort himself. The blast stirred up more dust and knocked the Dark Lord back several paces. In that moment, Harry moved forward and took the headmistress' arm. He pulled her back toward the castle, where others were headed, before removing the cloak to reveal himself.

"We've got to kill the snake!" Ignoring her more than shocked reaction to his sudden appearance, Harry shouted so that he could be heard above the dueling nearby. "She's the last one. All of the others have been destroyed!"

"Find and destroy it!" Both turned to see Severus Snape striding toward them. He looked much better than he had when he, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned to the castle, but it seemed by McGonagall's murderous glare, he wouldn't be that way for long. Not wasting any time, Snape went on. "Suffice it to say that everything I did was to ensure that Potter got this opportunity." He turned back to the subject of that comment and added: "She fled inside the castle. Find her and destroy her by whatever means necessary. We will keep him distracted." Harry nodded and went to join Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, but he managed to hear the comments that followed Snape's orders.

"So help me Severus, one wrong move and I'll kill you myself." Minerva managed through gritted teeth as she engaged the now raging Dark Lord. Voldemort had managed to send curses in every direction since he had been thrown off by Harry's exploding curse. He had also seen him remove the invisibility cloak, which angered the man even further. Now, he raised the Elder wand against her; a raving gleam in his red eyes.

"I expected as much." Snape's words were nearly lost in Voldemort's incoherent shouting, but Harry managed a sigh of relief. Those two were at least working on the same side again. He only hoped that one of them wouldn't be killed during that distraction. Entering the castle again, he found Hermione, Ron, and Ginny waiting for him just up the marble staircase.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Ron exclaimed. He looked a little shaken by Harry's sudden appearance again as well, but he went on anyway. "So, where d'you think she would have gone?"

"Anywhere." Harry muttered as they started up the stairs. "Keep an eye out on all sides, because she could be waiting to strike."

Searching through the first floor of the castle, Harry could hear the dueling that had been going on spill into the entrance hall. Spells were flying, and more glass was shattered in the distance as he searched one of the more unused classrooms. They had already checked the courtyard there on the first floor and most of the other classrooms and a passage that led to the second floor, but they had not seen head nor tail of the snake. With the battle going on, Harry found it hard to listen for that familiar sound of sharp metal bearing down on glass, but he stayed on alert regardless. Ron and Hermione had already gone up to the second floor to begin searching there, so that left Harry and Ginny to follow up.

Reaching the second floor landing, they heard Ron shout something from around a corner, and when they rounded it, Harry was met with a white blur that would have run headlong into him had it not made a graceful arc and come to rest on his shoulder. Ginny's exclamation of "Hedwig!" was all he needed to hear.

"Hedwig!" Harry raised a hand to the owl's crest and stroked her gently. The snowy owl turned her head sideways and gave him a look as she clicked her beak, but all it did was make Harry grin. "Sorry I took so long." He extended his arm, and she leapt off his shoulder and headed for the nearest window. The sound of her eager wings was drowned out by Neville Longbottom rushing down the corridor to meet them.

"Harry, there's no sign of her!" He was clutching the stitch in his chest with one hand while mopping sweat and dried blood from his face with the other. "She couldn't have gotten too far."

"No." Harry shook is head slowly. "She couldn't have." They had searched everywhere he could think of on these floors, and she didn't have time to have gotten too far away from her master. He was sure that she wouldn't , anyway. Nagini never had gone too far from Voldemort, so why should she now?

"The dueling is spreading into the great hall." Neville continued as he looked back down the stairs he had just come up. "Most of the death eaters have either been captured, killed, or ran off."

"What about the Malfoys?" Harry was surprised when he heard Hermione ask this. "What happened to them?"

"Lucius Malfoy looked like he was ready to bolt when all the fighting started, but Narcissa and Draco are fighting for us." Neville said with about as much surprise in his tone as Ron wore on his face. "Yeah, I know. Not what anyone expected." He managed a half grin before there was a ground-breaking crash from somewhere below. He, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron ran to the staircase and looked down toward the entrance hall. There was a great deal of dust coming from the great hall. It seemed that their thoughts were all centered around the same thing when all of them made for the stairs, but Harry had a sudden thought.

"Keep looking for the snake. I think I may have an idea. She'll be looking for us, so why don't we make ourselves easy to find?" He headed down toward the great hall with the others following behind. "I think I migtt know a way of distracting Voldemort as well."

"How?" Ron asked as they rounded the final banister and leapt down the last few stairs.

"Still working it all out, but I think Snape lied to him about the wand serving him properly."

"Be careful, Harry." Ron warned as he and the others were prepared to enter the hall. "Already tried killing you once, didn't he?"

"Twice now, actually." Harry said casually while Hermione rolled her eyes and Neville gave him a sideways look. Throwing open the doors, the rest entered, and Harry was left to share a look with Ginny before they joined the fray.

"I know." She said in the momentary silence. Harry nodded and they immersed themselves in the active dueling that took place. Alastor Moody was nearby finishing off Crabbe and Goyle's fathers, while Arthur Weasley and Professor Sprout were dealing with the large blonde death eater that Harry remembered from the battle at the Astronomy tower and from their encounter in the coffee shop in London. From their positions, they could still see Professors McGonagall and Snape dueling Voldemort. Both were sporting new injuries, and Minerva's silvery black hair had started escaping from her bun; hanging in her face as se sent another several well-placed curses toward her target. At that point however, his attention was directed to his left, where Bellatrix Lestrange had just spotted Ginny, Luna, and Hermione.

Stepping forward, she sent a few stunners their way, but those were easily blocked by a shield charm. Hermione and Ginny sent impediment jinxes back while Luna went for a temporary paralyzing hex. One impediment jinx hit, but the rest were waved off quickly. This left Bellatrix to direct her next curse, the cruciatus curse, toward Ginny. Before Harry could move to stop it or take it for her, Molly Weasley deflected it and sent a curse back at Bellatrix with a vengeful glint in her normally kind eyes.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" She snarled as Bellatrix grinned broadly at the motherly protective gesture.

"Oh look there, Red, Mummy's here to die for you!" She jeered and they began sending multiple curses at each other while Percy, Bill, and Remus pulled the younger wizards out of reach. This only made Bellatrix work harder to bring the matriarch of the Weasley family down, but Molly was just as eager in her attempts to best Voldemort's most loyal supporter. Several attempts later, Bellatrix was getting more and more excited, but with that, she seemed to be more careless In her defense. Molly managed several good shots that knocked the wind out of her opponent, and with one final exploding curse, Bellatrix Lestrange was thrown to the ground with a resounding thump; wand falling from her lifeless hand.

"Brilliant, Mum!" Ron, Fred, and George shouted at the same time, and that seemed to attract the attention of Voldemort. When his red eyes focused on his now-dead top "lieutenant", he sent a wild curse toward Mrs. Weasley, but Arthur blocked it with a quick shield charm. Neville, who had cheered Molly on as well, suddenly spotted something and directed his attention toward Hermione. His voice rang out in the silence as he moved forward.

"Hermione! Look out!" Still gripping the sorting hat in his hand, he pushed past a few others, but the hat changed in his grip. The brim seemed to be weighted down, and as Neville took a quick glance, he was surprised to see the long handle of the ruby-encrusted sword of Gryffindor. Quickly shoving his wand into his belt, Neville used his now free hand to pull the sword away from the hat. Hermione had managed to dodge a spitting and hissing Nagini. With her quickly ducking again, Neville used the sword and sent it in a raging uppercut-like swipe. The blade pierced the snake's thick body and sent her head spiraling into the air.


	16. Matter's End

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Sixteen: Matter's End_

 **A/N:** Last three chapters being posted today. I did enjoy this, though it only really involved the seventh book. Now that I've gotten a renewed taste for this, I will have to go back and work on more for this category. To answer a reviewer, I know I was terrible. :) I had to end that last chapter there.

In regard to the events, I will say I took a few hints from the films, but for the most part, I followed the book where I could help it as far as the timeline and the differences. The book was much more detailed and there should have been more of it in the films, but that's just my opinion, eh? Anyway, enjoy.

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In that second, Harry expected to feel the same mad rush of pain and anger that he had when the locket, chalice and diadem were destroyed, but instead, he heard an ear-shattering roar come from the dead snake's master. Turning, he watched as Voldemort nearly doubled over; his face becoming whiter than it already was, if that was possible. While he struggled, Harry moved closer; he saw an opportunity to test his theory now that the last horcrux was indeed dead. Voldemort, holding the Elder wand so tightly ,it was likely to snap in his grip, seemed to regain his cold composure and narrowed his eyes. Raising the wand high, he sent a killing curse hurtling toward the witch that was his closest target.

"NO!" Harry launched himself into the air and threw himself against the woman who had been rightly accused of protecting him; he sent a stunner directly into the curse's path so that red and green collided. Sparks flew, and there was a resounding bang that left the hall ringing in its wake. In the moment that followed, Harry's emerald eyes met forest green, and he silently rose to his feet; withdrawing his wand. Facing the one who had cast the killing curse, he spoke with a power in his tone he hadn't expected. "You were so eager to get me alone in that forest, weren't you?" At Voldemort's furious look, Harry went on. "In that moment when you tried to kill me, you failed again; the only thing you accomplished was making sure that you would be mortal."

"I will not be bested by the likes of you-"

"I have to disagree." Harry cut him off. "All of those carefully placed horcruxes, and you're still left with nothing but the slim amount of a soul that resides in your body." People around him took in a collective breath; those that hadn't known what he was doing were whispering amongst themselves while still straining to hear every word. "I do think you were right about one thing, though." He indicated the wand in Voldemort's hand. "What you told Snape about that wand, I don't think it can serve you properly while its true master lives."

"And I would have killed its previous owner had you not intervened." Voldemort's hiss didn't cause the reaction he hoped it would. "I would have killed Snape-"

"You wouldn't have." Harry challenged. "Though if Snape was the true master, you still wouldn't have won it from him." This caused a fair few of the onlookers to look between Harry and the Dark Lord in varying states of confusion. "Killing the previous owner doesn't matter; simply disarming them will do."

"What would you know about such magic?" The serpentine man spat as he flicked the wand casually toward Harry. "Consulted any great wandmakers?"

"Didn't need to." Harry countered. "I saw what you did to Ollivander and Gregorovich. Before I divulge what I know, I'll give you an option." He looked around the hall and made a graceful arc with his wand; pointing toward all of those who lost their lives in the various battles that had taken place during the previous night. "I invite you to actually show some remorse for your actions." At this, Voldemort snorted with laughter, but he was ignored. "Look at what you've done here, Tom." Harry indicated his own followers as well as students and other casualties. "Your own followers went into battle and got killed for your cause. Do you not feel anything at all for their loss?"

"They knew what was expected of them and the price of their failure."

"Just as your mother did?" This earned him a sharp glance. "Merope Gaunt knew the consequences of being with the man she cared for; a man who didn't love her." Harry clarified. "She knew that she was expected to marry a pureblood and continue Slytherin's pure line of wizards, but she didn't do it." He kept his gaze on the Dark Lord and didn't back away as the man came closer. "As consequence for her perceived failure, she was disowned, and you were born to a mother who had nothing. You repeated the pattern, but in a different context." He motioned to some of the fallen death eaters including Bellatrix. "Not to say they deserve pity because of their own choices, but you expected a lot from them. Out of fear, not loyalty, did they obey you. They knew their ultimate price was death should they fail."

"You listen to the likes of Albus Dumbledore too closely, boy." Voldemort's cackle of laughter left Harry shaking his head.

"Think what you will of me, but I give you that choice; to actually concede to the sliver of humanity you still have and actually feel remorse for your actions. Now about that wand, I give you fair warning that Snape was not its master."

"You were not there the night Dumbledore fell to my forces-"

"I was there!" Harry cut him off again. "I was on the tower's landing, and I was silenced by Dumbledore himself. I saw who really disarmed Dumbledore and won the wand from him." At these words, Voldemort searched the crowd before his eyes landed on Draco Malfoy. Following his gaze, Harry spoke first. "Before you waste a curse, consider this: When we were caught at Malfoy Manor, someone happened to disarm Draco. Can you guess who that person was?" Voldemort's red slit-like eyes landed on Harry slowly. "So go on then. Try your luck, Tom."

"You believe you have all of the answers, then?" Voldemort held Harry's gaze for a moment as he considered him. "So sure of yourself…"

"It's your choice." Harry said flatly. He cast an eye on the hall casually as he waited for Voldemort's response. Every eye was on them now; some were more concerned than others, but it seemed all of those still alive were waiting with bated breath.

"Look at me when I kill you!" Immediately, Harry was reminded of the graveyard and Voldemort's desperation to kill him right then and there. The same amount was showing in his face now, but Harry found himself oddly calm. The self-proclaimed Dark Lord raised the Elder Wand; hand shaking in fury as he opened his mouth to speak what Harry knew was coming.

"Avada Kedavra!" His shout echoed throughout the remains of the great hall, and the jet of green light that Harry had seen on several occasions directed at him illuminated the faces of those around him. Not bothering to raise his wand, he couldn't suppress the slightest amount of doubt in his own confidence, but that was dismissed when Voldemort himself was enveloped in his own curse; the Elder wand flying from his stiffening hand and sailing through the air. Reaching up, harry caught it while still watching as the shocked expression became permanent on Voldemort's snake-like face. Eyes wide in horror, he fell back and collapsed over one of the destroyed house tables; body slackening as the last traces of life left him.

It took several moments of stunned silence for people to fully realize what had happened. While most were unaware of the Deathly Hallows, they had just clearly seen the wand revolt against its perceived owner. Some chose to stay where they were and just look over the heads of those closer, while others parted the crowd in an attempt to see the body of the most current powerful Dark Lord. There were those who came close enough to touch the body, but few dared to do it. Harry himself chose to back away; he had seen quite enough of this man and didn't want to be near him anymore than he needed to be.

Footsteps of many people covered the awkward first voices that spoke to break the silence, but among those voices, Harry heard Molly Weasley, Horace Slughorn, Alastor Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. He was however, surprised to hear another voice; this one closer to him.

"Well done, Potter." Turning, he saw Severus Snape making his way through the small mass of people nearest. "I assumed that you were there that night on the Astronomy tower."

"Thank you, Sir." Harry appreciated the very rare praise from the former head of Slytherin house. "And yes, I was."

"He planned it." Snape commented as people stared at him. Harry could see some of the Hogwarts staff that had engaged him earlier in the night regard Snape with a mixture of surprise and wariness. "Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant wizard,"

"But he seemed to leave some of us in awkward positions." Harry finished the thought. "He left you looking like a traitor to the school and well… You know what I looked like." With that comment, Snape nodded gravely.

The next few hours were spent among friends and his collective family as Harry managed to recount just how he had come to the conclusion that the Elder wand would not serve Voldemort properly. People shook his hand, clapped him on the back, and he was left feeling rather like the "celebrity" that Severus Snape had accused him of being in his first year. It wasn't a feeling he really liked, but it was one that he would have to get used to. The Weasleys, thankfully, didn't pester him with the truth of what had happened in the forest or how he came to know that the wand was his. Molly and Arthur seemed perfectly happy with the fact that he was still breathing; so much so that she engulfed him in a tear-filled hug and he wordlessly shook Harry's hand firmly. Friends such as Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna, Ernie, Hannah, and various quidditch players he had known throughout his Hogwarts career offered their congratulations, but they also knew that he might not much feel like explaining a whole lot.

Teachers, Order members, and some Ministry personnel that were in the castle had already begun making minor repairs to what they could handle that day. Most of Hogwarts would be mended in time, but it wasn't the greatest priority at the present time. The sun had fully risen, and families were reunited or mourning their dead. Among those were Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. Standing over Bellatrix' body, Narcissa had an unreadable expression. At one point, there must have been a time when they more than likely loved each other as sisters, but Harry saw something akin to grim understanding pass over Draco's mother's features. In the end, it hadn't mattered if the dark lord had succeeded in his mission to end Harry and purify the wizarding world; all that had mattered was protecting her son, and Harry had to respect her for that. Looking past them, he could see no one else that he really knew looking for their dead. Remus and Tonks were now talking with who Harry knew to be Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa's sister. She had arrived with little Teddy Lupin just a short time ago. Seeing him looking, Remus waved him over.

"Harry." Exchanging embraces with him and Tonks, Harry was presented with a little boy who sported turquoise hair. "I figured it might be good for you to finally meet your godson in person." He grinned as Teddy laid eyes on Harry for the first time.

"Not going to be as much of a troublemaker as I am now, are you?" Harry grinned down at the boy while Remus and Tonks laughed.

"Let's hope not." Andromeda said with a genuine smile. "These two are enough of a bad influence already, eh?" She looked at her daughter and son-in-law. "Running off to war."

"They can't help it." Harry said honestly. "Mine did it too and look how I turned out." He finished jokingly to grins from Remus and Tonks while Andromeda shook her head; clearly amused. "Well Teddy," Harry got down to eye level with the toddler. "I promise I'll try to be as good an influence on you as my godfather was to me." This was met with a snort of laughter from Tonks.

"He'll be fine then, won't he Remus?"

"Most certainly."

By the evening, most had left the castle, and all that remained were teachers, Order members, their families, and some other students. Most others had gone home, but the rest were taking up residence in Hogsmeade or the castle itself. The house common rooms were structurally sound, and most of the staff's chambers were as well. Harry didn't follow his friends up to Gryffindor tower that night, though. Instead, he remained in the great hall, where the house tables had been repaired and were replaced on the floor. Try as he might, he couldn't get the events from earlier in the morning out of his head. Standing where he had when Voldemort had tried to kill him the last time, Harry shook his head and sat down on the nearby bench that was normally reserved for Ravenclaw students.

"What if I had been wrong?" The question echoed around the hall as if making him focus on it even more. "He was right; I was too sure of myself."

"You weren't the only one accused of that today, now were you?"

"Headmistress." Harry turned at the sound of her voice. "Evening."

"I take it you cannot sleep either." Sitting down beside him, she flicked her wand casually at the grate I front of them, and a roaring fire sprang up.

"No." Harry shook his head slowly. "Even after all of this, I can't." He looked at the scorch mark on the floor where the sparks had showered from his and Voldemort's curses colliding. "I knew I was right," He frowned as he repeated his thoughts. "But I knew I could have been very wrong."

"Best not to dwell on it."

"My self confidence could have gotten me killed." Harry muttered as frustration crept into his tone.

"The truth is that you could have been killed many times today." McGonagall's tone was not stern, though Harry had expected it. "However, my circumstances weren't so different either."

"You had a school to protect." Harry countered. "You had good reason to do what you did. I just threw all certainty to the wind and hoped I was right."

"Aye, I did have a reason for it." At her slight abrupt tone, Harry turned to look at the woman beside him. Dark green eyes on the fire ahead, they moved to him as she finished her thought. "I'm looking at him."

"What?" Definitely not what he expected, Harry blinked. "You had a castle and its students to keep safe… Surely you wouldn't-"

"I did," She said flatly. "And I would again, given the opportunity." Harry couldn't think of anything to offer up in response. "I was forced to make such a decision in the scenario I mentioned that led to the deaths of my remaining family." Harry nodded in recognition of the conversation they had in Godric's Hollow. "I had a choice of remaining hidden and safe or revealing myself and facing those twelve death eaters. To say I was vastly outnumbered would have been an understatement." She added with a half smile. "It was a more than worthy cause, and I thought nothing of it; much like you did today on more than one occasion."

"When I went into the forest, I had no real choice." Harry confessed. He hadn't really discussed this with anyone, though he was sure Ron and Hermione knew his reasons for it. "I was the one he never intended to make. I had to let him kill it."

"That explains a great deal." The headmistress looked back into the flames as she thought aloud. "Why you were able to have access to his mind, speak parseltongue, and the like. That however, wasn't what I was referring to." When she caught Harry's confused expression, sh elaborated. "You were a brave fool to stand in the way of that curse."

"Did you think I was going to let you die?" He asked after a pause. "I couldn't let that happen."

"Then I'll tell you this." Looking to him again, Minerva wore a deadly serious expression, and Harry was drawn to her every word. "It was in that moment that you learned the most important lesson that war can teach you." She elaborated while covering his hand with hers. "There are simply some people and causes you would give your life for; whether you act on it or not is a choice only you can make."

"It was worth it." He leaned back against the side of the Ravenclaw house table and looked into the flames as well. "All of it. I realize now what my parents and Sirius did; their intentions.

"So long as you have no regrets, the actions you take are well worth it."

"Can't say I have any regrets at this point." And he found that to be true. What had bothered him when he had first come in here was more or less resolved. He didn't regret the actions he took, though they could have ended differently had they been ill-spent. "I think I might actually be able to sleep now."

"Good."

"And you?" He slowly rose to his feet and pocketed his wand, which he had been turning in his hands. "Do you think you'll be able to? If I may say, you look as tired as I feel."

"I believe so." She too rose, and with a fluid movement, she put out the torches that had been dully burning above them, but she left the fire burning in the grate.

"Good. I'll walk with you;" Harry turned toward the doors that now stood ajar. "Headed that way anyway."

"Aye, you're headed to the complete opposite end of the seventh floor." She laughed as they headed for the entrance hall.

"Yes well, I'm looking to avoid awkward conversations or more questions." Harry grinned in earnest. "I figure if I wait long enough, everyone will be too tired to stay awake and question me."

"If I am honest, I am not looking forward to the owls I will receive from the Prophet later this morning." They headed up the staircases, knowing it was just past midnight. Some of the portraits that had been restored were already snoozing in their frames, "Frankly, I could do without their pestering."

"I'll probably get it soon enough." Harry found that he too dreaded the onslaught of owls that might come his way. The Daily Prophet had not exactly been his ally in the war against Voldemort. "I say tell them to sod off and call it a day."

"If it were only that easy…" They got to the seventh floor and reached the statue of the gargoyle, or what was left of it, and it immediately leapt aside. Harry stayed back as the headmistress went to ascend the moving staircase. Turning to face him again, she posed a question. "What will you do with this war's end?"

"Rebuild the castle I considered my first true home for the last seven years." Harry answered without thinking. "After that, I don't know…" A thought occurred to him as he said this. "I always said I wanted to be an auror, but after all of this.. Who knows, I might end up teaching."

"Well, regardless of your choice, Hogwarts will always be open to you."

"Thank you." Deciding to take his leave, Harry stepped out of the gargoyle's path. "Goodnight, Minerva."

"Rest well, Harry. Merlin knows we could both use it."

Harry left with the gargoyle's return to its post. Walking along the seventh floor corridors, he found the castle's silence just as odd as when he, McGonagall, and Luna had left Ravenclaw tower. There were torches lit that gave off a gentle flickering flame to stifle the darkness, but it was still odd; Hogwarts was hollow, empty, and broken. It would be whole in time, but he found the silence pressing in on him now. As he rounded the corner to enter Gryffindor tower, he saw that the Fat Lady had returned to guard the portrait hole. Seeing him coming, she gave a kind smile and a nod before revealing he portrait hole.

Inside the common room, he found Hedwig perched on a table by the best armchairs. Removing his wand, he pointed his wand at the grate and a warm fire crackled into life. He nodded to Hedwig before ascending the stairs to the boys' dormitories. When he reached the room he shared with Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Ron, he found his rucksack and other possessions on his bed. On top of it all was what he was looking for; the green blanket he had found while searching the remains of his parents' cottage in Godric's Hollow. Pulling it off of the small pile, he rummaged around in the rucksack and found the set of pajamas he had worn while they had managed to stay at Grimmauld Place. When he removed the robes he had worn since their escape from Gringotts, he removed what was in the pockets and placed most of it into his rucksack. The snitch with the resurrection stone went back in the mokeskin, and the Elder wand was placed in an inner pocket of the rucksack for safekeeping. He wasn't too sure as to what he should do with it. The most powerful wand a person could wield was in his possession, and he honestly didn't want it.

Once all that was settled, he retrieved the blanket again and headed back down to the common room. Once there, he sat down on the sofa for a moment and arranged the cushions so that there would be one under his head when he lay down. The other two were stacked neatly at the opposite end, and Hedwig settled on them; her amber eyes almost alight with the fire's orange and yellow hues. Harry then took the blanket and easily threw it over himself so that it reached just to his chest. Shifting so that he was on his side and facing the fire, he saw Hedwig out of the corner of his eye. She hooted softly and placed her head under her wing where she sat on the pillows at his feet.

"It's finally over, Hedwig…" He managed as he yawned. "Now all I have to do is learn to live a normal life." She offered nothing as a response, but Harry did hear a slight rustle of wings as she shifted. This left him with little more to do than to let his head sink into the soft pillow. Eyes closing against the flames, their flickering light grew dimmer by the second as his mind gave into exhaustion. His last thought was of the school he had returned to and how he would work as needed to return it to its former glory.


	17. Repairing The Broken

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Seventeen: Repairing The Broken_

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His dreams however, were not nearly as peaceful as that thought. Images of the deceased dark lord's face loomed up out of the darkness. His laughter echoed in Harry's ears, and all of the pain that he had managed to avoid with the repeated cruciatus curses hit him like an ongoing train. Body contracting and shaking while he slept, he never heard a scream; not his nor anyone else's. He could hear the screeching of metal on glass as he had many times before, but there was never a cause. Only when the sound was unbearable did he see a blast of green and the dream ended; leaving him sitting up on the sofa with a startled Ron and a not-so-surprised Hermione looking at him.

"So I take it you didn't sleep well." Hermione said as she offered him a cup of hot chocolate.

"No, not really." Accepting it, Harry took a long pull from the mug. His entire body started to relax, so that led him to raise his eyebrows. "You put a calming draft in this, didn't you?"

"Well spotted." She smiled, and pulled a small potion phial out of her robe pocket. "Had it brewed back when we were out and about. Never really needed to use it, though."

"Good thinking." Ron grinned as he looked Harry over again. "Bad dream, then?"

"Just a compilation of what all we've had to deal with, I guess." Taking another pull from the mug, Harry placed it on the table nearest. "I'm sure it will fade in time."

"Speaking of," Hermione looked back at him as she stroked Hedwig absently; the owl resting on her knee. "What time did you head to bed last night? Ron and I waited up a bit, but you never showed."

"Wasn't sure I could sleep when we were first heading up to the tower, so I took a walk." Harry said as he pulled on his glasses and provoked the fire in the grate with his wand. "Wound up in the great hall and spent a few minutes talking with McGonagall."

"Right brave of you to get in front of that curse for her yesterday." Ron commented as he took a seat to Harry's left while Hermione did the same on his right.

"Suppose I'm just trying to even the score." He didn't have to look to see their confusion, so he elaborated. "Aside from warning us of the death eaters, dueling Snape, and dueling Voldemort twice on my behalf, she was there when I was little." He remembered the summers and intermittent times during the winters when he had that odd tabby as company; when he would talk about all that went on and would swear she was listening. "After all of that, I wasn't about to let that happen."

"Surprised he didn't go for me." Neville said as he cleared the stairs from the dormitories. "I mean I killed the snake."

"Probably saw her as more of a prime target, yeah?" Ron suggested.

"He would have been right." Hermione nodded. "When he was torturing what we all thought was your body," At this point she stopped for a moment, and Ron patted her on the shoulder a few times. His expression was jst as grim for a moment, though. "I thought she was going to kill him then and there."

"Wish I could have seen it." Harry muttered. "Mind, I was taking a few looks around while everyone was distracted."

"Actually, that was the only reason we knew to look for you when she started dueling him." Hermione said brightly. "Ginny spotted you looking around and nudged Ron and I."

"For a moment there, I thought it was right cheeky of you." Ginny had come down the stairs to the girls' dormitories now and took a seat in one of the armchairs while Neville took the other. "Then, when you disappeared, I figured you had a good reason for it."

"I figured that then was as good a time as ever to move." Harry grinned sheepishly. "I mean two powerful people dueling right there almost on top of me and all." He looked around to the window but was nonplused to see that the clouds covered up the sun's progress again. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Nearly noon." Ron grinned. Only then did Harry notice the flecks of light snow melting on his robes. "Been out working in the greenhouses today. Never thought I'd be happy to see devil's snare again."

"I think I remember Professor Sprout saying that she'd use it on the giants if possible." Harry commented, remembering when the heads of houses had split off before the battle of Hogwarts.

"Oh yeah." Neville grinned. He had to be careful as he did so, though. Even with most of his wounds healed or in the process of it, he winced slightly. "Saw her release it on a pair of giants, and they were brought down within a short while. I think she even used venomous tentacula and snuffalog pods."

"That right there is nasty." Ron said. "Venomous tentacula, I mean."

"Exactly." Neville's grin broadened. "Couple of death eaters followed her into the greenhouses and were attacked immediately. Sods ran out screaming with marks all over their faces and hands."

"I think they're going to start work on the first floor today after lunch." Hermione addressed Harry. "Are you interested?"

"Yeah." He stood and headed for the stairs. "I'll just change into my robes and be back down."

"No need to look too hard for them." She tossed a set of navy blue work robes at him. Catching them, Harry examined them carefully.

"Thick, aren't they?"

"Well, there're gaping holes in the first floor corridors because of the giants lumbering around, so warmth is hard to find." Ginny grinned.

"Fair enough." Harry headed upstairs, changed out of his pajamas, and placed some of his things back in the robe pockets. Opening the rucksack, he withdrew the Elder wand and headed down to meet the others again. When Ron and Hermione looked from the wand to him, he shrugged. "Most powerful wand made; maybe it will come in handy with the repairs."

"Let's hope so." Hermione said as she vanished the now empty mugs that they had all apparently been drinking out of.

The three left the tower and met several other volunteers on the first floor. Having been there the previous night, Harry wasn't surprised to see it hadn't really improved all that much in the morning, but he was thankful that there were many people to at least make the work go by more pleasantly. Molly, Arthur, and most of the other Weasleys were already shifting stone alongside Professor Flitwick. Remus was working alongside Luna and Dean to repair many shattered windows. Desks were being driven back into classrooms by Professor McGonagall, who was lazily directing them with her wand. Harry had to stifle a grin when he remembered seeing her leading them in a rampage to hinder the progress of death eaters leaving the castle last year. Even Severus Snape was working to right several bent up and damaged suits of armor. One was rather stubborn and seemed to insist on wearing its chestplate warped and burnt.

"Looks like he's having issue with that armor there." Ron grinned as Snape grew rather frustrated.

"Stubborn thing." The headmistress crossed the corridor, took her wand, and gave the suit of armor a good thump on the helmet. In that instant, it fell apart into pieces. "Should be easier now, Severus."

"So a good thump to the head actually fixes something, Professor?" Neville asked as she went and began working on a few of the sculptures and statues that had been destroyed in their attempts to assist in the battle.

"Not in your case, Longbottom." The quick quip had everyone laughing except for Snape, but Harry swore he saw the man's mouth twitch. He repaired the suit of armor and replaced it on its pedestal. No longer animated, it offered no response to its forced repair.

"Move that here, and I'll see what I can do with it." Filius Flitwick motioned to a large hunk of stone that Fred and George were working to shift. "I think I can use it in this hole."

Harry, who saw a few suits of armor with the same symptoms as Snape's troublesome one, moved to repair them while Ron and Hermione worked with Ginny to shift more stone nearby to patch a hole that led out into the courtyard. Using the Elder wand as an experiment, he found It reacted just as well as his own, but it seemed to get more done. The suits of armor were repaired within a space of ten minutes, and he was working to secure a few tapestries back onto the walls with Dean after.

For the next month or so, the days passed relatively the same. In the morning, breakfast was a means of waking everyone up and work was done in the warmer parts of the castle during the morning. Lunch was usually light, but there were all sorts of options provided by the house elves. Repairs would be done to the cooler or outer parts of the castle during the majority of the day to ensure that temperatures didn't get too chilly, but there were those who kept torches or jars of fire burning throughout to keep warm. Dinner was a satisfying meal that ended the tedium and workload. Though most meals were social, it was the most; people playing chess, exploding snap, or even gobstones afterwards. After all of that was cleared away, people would go off to different parts of the castle or even Hogsmeade to spend the rest of the evening.

One warm afternoon found Harry working out on the quidditch pitch with repairs. It was hard to think that the night he had returned here, this field was on fire along with the stands. They had managed to replace the grass, but it would take the spring rains and summer to get it back to its normal velvet state. The stands however, were an easy repair. Base structures made of stone, they were working to repair the stairs and the benches. House draperies that surrounded them were already done and secure. Most of the stands were done; wood having been brought in from the forest and crafted due to the many downed trees. As he wiped sweat from his brow carefully, Harry looked out over the pitch again. Golden goal posts shining in the afternoon sun, it was tempting to summon his broom and just fly around them for nostalgic purposes, but he had a few more benches to work together before dinner. He returned to fitting the bench into its two stone legs so that it would be secure, and once that was done, he performed a good sticking charm to ensure the wood would not move.

"Done up there, are you?"

Harry looked down from the bench he had just secured and saw a silver-blonde head darting out from the stairs leading to where he was. Draco Malfoy had volunteered, along with Madam Hooch, Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, the Weasley twins, Cho Chang, and Katie Bell to assist in the repairs of the stadium. Most of the others had headed up toward the castle a few minutes ago. "Nearly. Still got three more to go." Pulling the next bench seat from the stack of long, heavy, and finished wooden planks with his wand, Harry directed it to the stone supports on the level below the one he had just finished. "Others are done, I take it."

"Just left, yeah."

"Got the stairs secure?"

"Yeah, heading up now." Draco disappeared back into the stands where Harry was working and he could hear the slytherin climbing up to join him. Harry lay the heavy wood down carefully and moved down to the empty stone supports to check them for cracks or anything. Walking along the length of the supports, he found nothing. He raised his wand again and moved the bench top over from its temporary resting place and let if slide easily into its proper place before he performed the same sticking charm as before. When that was done, he turned to see the next one already floating nearby. Draco was checking the stone supports on the next row down.

"Thanks for that." He addressed the slytherin in earnest. "I'll get the last."

"Figure the more I do, the less I think about everything." Draco muttered as he went to apply the sticking charm.

"Everything alright with your family?"

"Good as it can be, I suppose." Draco watched as Harry finished up the last bench. "Mother's got the house sorted and all."

"Hear anything from your father?"

"Azkaban." Draco said shortly. "Got caught fleeing Hogsmeade when the ministry got here."

"I'm sorry." Harry couldn't say he was sorry in earnest, but he could appreciate the fact that Draco had lost his father to prison again.

"I'm not. He wanted things to go back to the way they "were"." This made Harry look up from where he had been checking the bench to see that the sticking charm he placed was done properly. Once he was sure it had, he sat down on it and looked out over the pitch while Draco did the same.

"I take it you didn't want it that way."

"I didn't want to see teachers that I had seen in school killed in front of me, no."

"Professor Burbage." Harry said with a slight lump in his throat. Though he didn't know the muggle studies professor at all, he knew what Voldemort had done to her. "Killed her in your family's house and had the snake go at her after."

"Yeah." Malfoy turned and regarded Harry with curiosity. "How did you know that?'

"Sometimes I could see what Voldemort was doing because of my… connection to him." Harry hadn't really gone off and explained everything about him being a horcrux to everyone just yet. "I saw that, what he did to Ollivander, and a few others."

"Didn't know that." It was all that Draco had time to say due to the sudden appearance of Hermione and Ginny. The two boys jumped when they heard the latter's voice.

"There you two are."

"Hey." Harry grinned after getting over their sudden appearance. "Thought we'd disappeared, did you?"

"Rumor has it that only happens to referees." Hermione said as she and Ginny stood just above the boys. "Dinner in the great hall soon."

"Came down here just to tell us that?" Draco asked as he stood up from the newly completed bench.

"Felt like getting out of the castle." Ginny said as she looked toward Draco. "Working on it has been a chore, and sometimes it's just good to see something that has been completed rather than most that is still in repair."

"Just got finished here." Harry stood as well and wiped the sweat from his brow with a sleeve. It wasn't an absolutely hot day, but when the sun hit just right, it got a bit warm in work robes. "How's the room of requirement going?" I heard some were working on that today."

"It's getting there. Just clearing off a lot of the rubbish that was still there. Flitwick says he can have the usual enchantments in place so that the room serves its old purpose after everything is cleared away." Hermione said as she glanced back up at the castle. "We're getting there, you know?"

"Yeah." Ginny added. "Looks like we'll meet that deadline for term in September."

"That'll be good." Harry and Draco started moving up the rows to the stands' exit as Harry spoke. "It will be nice to maybe return here for my last year without worrying about something going wrong."

"Or someone trying to kill you." Draco quipped.

"Yeah, and that."

The rest of the afternoon was an interesting one. Harry was surprised at how, dare he say, pleasant Draco could be. Sure, he had his moments, but didn't everyone? The two had managed to work in the quidditch pitch without killing each other; even Ginny and Hermione had managed to talk to him off and on. Ron still seemed a bit put off by the fact that they were talking, but that was nothing they hadn't seen before. He had been a bit stubborn when Hermione and Viktor Krum were getting close. He had questioned their associating with the slytherin when they all entered the great hall nearly ten minutes later.

"Hanging around with him now, are you?"

"He and I were repairing the pitch with others, so yeah." Harry answered with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"You trust him?"

"Yeah." Harry answered again. He had sat down near Ginny and was pulling a platter of chicken toward him. "Thought we had discussed this, Ron. He could have sold us out at Malfoy manor but he didn't, and he could have turned on me in the room of requirement. He didn't."

"That and he risked everything by not going over to Voldemort's side in the battle." Hermione added.

"Suppose you're right." Ron admitted, but he still didn't get too social with Draco over the course of the evening. Harry didn't push the issue; instead, he just enjoyed the evening. Hogwarts staff had long since abandoned the staff table during the repairs, and they had intermingled with the past and present students. There were those who chose to remain in Hogsmeade rather than at the castle itself, but Harry couldn't turn down the cooking of the house elves. He had to admit that he looked forward to seeing Kreacher and Dobby during the evenings in the common room.

Tonight however, he found himself walking along the grounds as the last traces of winter were replaced by spring. The first day of the warmer season was coming tomorrow, and he had mixed feelings about seeing it go. There was still a fair bit of work to do out in the grounds, and the cooler it was, the better the work would pass. Then again, he had had quite enough of sleeping out in that tent in the bitter winter to last him a while. As he walked across the repaired bridge, he could see the lake and the entrance to the forest from his position. Closing his eyes, Harry could see the grounds as they had been that night. Hagrid's hut had been ablaze again, the quidditch pitch had been as well.

"Out walking again, Harry?" He was drawn from his thoughts by one of his best friends as she crossed the remainder of the bridge to moin him. Hermione was clad in dark crimson robes as she stood loking out at the swaying dark trees. "Third time this week, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Harry hadn't expected her to be out this late. Turning to face her, he saw traces of what he recognized as fury vanishing from her face. "You and Ron have another row, I take it?"

"Not really." Hermione huffed as she sat down on the low steps that led to the grounds; Harry doing the same beside her. "He and I were talking and Lavender came 'round from Hogsmeade. Instead of giving her the brush off like I thought he might, he's working out just why they broke up. Lavender dropped the bomb that he was asking for me while he was out of it in the hospital wing, and he looked at me like I should have told him sooner. Now, they're just talking."

"So what are you bothered about then?" Avoiding the subject of Ron and Lavender had been a good idea, or at least while they had been on the move. It had been awkward enough between Ron and Hermione when he had left and come back.

"Peeves." She muttered. Only then did Harry notice that Hermione's hair was still soaking wet. "He was dropping water bombs again."

"Right." Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at her sopping hair before performing a drying charm and moving it about. "Like he did in the beginning of fourth year."

"Well, we were lucky then that there weren't potions in those balloons." Hermione muttered. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem."

"So," She looked out over the now quiet and dark grounds. "What are you doing out here anyway? I think Ginny was looking for you."

"That's one reason I'm out here." Harry admitted before he could stop himself. At Hermione's confused glance, he clarified. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last week. We've spent a good bit of time together, and I do feel a connection between us, but there's something off about it."

"Off?"

"Yeah. I can't really put a finger on it, but I just feel like something about it isn't right."

"Well," Hermione thought for a moment as she ran a hand through her now dry hair. "You both seem to care for one another, but I dunno." She thought for a moment longer before turning back to him. "Maybe you just need time."

"For what, exactly?"

"Maybe just time to get over all that's happened." She motioned with her hand around the grounds. "Just a few months ago, we didn't know if we would come out on top of this war, Harry."

"We didn't." He agreed slowly. "Thought everything would all end around that night." Harry looked out over the grounds again. "For me, it did, in a way."

"What happened in that forest, Harry?"

"Something that will eventually happen again."

From that night on, Harry decided to take a break from his forming relationship with Ginny. He spent time with her and didn't shut her out, but he explained that he needed time to really put things behind him. She easily agreed and gave him all the time he needed to move on. Work continued throughout the next months, and as August began to give way to September, Harry and the others slowed down in their efforts to repair; there were school spplies to collect and some spellwork to brush up on. Harry found Ron and Hermione in the back of Flourish and Blott's They each had an arm full of books, quills, and rolls of parchment.

"Preparing to do it all again, are you?" He asked as he placed his own pile of books, parchment, and quils on a table near them. "Feels odd after all of this."

"Didn't think I'd go back, honestly." Ron admitted as he worked to shrink his books so that they would all fit in his pocket. Sadly, he couldn't manage it and Hermione showed him where he had missed the wand movement. "After Mum found out, she just said I should do what I thought was best."

"Odd that Mrs. Weasley would say that." Hermione remarked. "Seems as if she would have gone mental if she knew you weren't finishing your education."

"Yeah." Ron agreed. "Thanks. Figure I'll get that one right eventually."

"Took long enough for me." Hermione admitted as she too shrank her books and supples to pocket-size and prepared to leave the shop. "Good that we bought these before the crowd hit. That poor shop owner will be busy for awhile."

"Didn't you mention working here for a bit after you finished seventh year?" Harry asked.

"Still considering it." Hermione nodded.

"Well, got potions supplies, books, quills, and all that. Are we missing anything?" Ron asked as they made their way out of the shop and onto the crowded narrow street.

"Can't really think of anything." Harry managed as he moved past a cluster of people staring at the latest broom in the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop. "Bought the replacements for my broom care kit while you two were still getting fitted for better robes."

"Yeah, I bought one of those when we first got here yesterday." Ron grinned. "Been awhile since I gave the cleansweep a once over."

"Well, if that's everything, then we can escape this crowd." Hermione offered. "Kreacher wanted us home before dinner."

"Oh, that's right." Harry clapped a hand to his forehead. "I completely forgot." Pulling out his timepiece that Molly had given him for his birthday, he saw it was a quarter past four. "Still have time. Floo?"

"Better than apparating." Ron said as he opened the door that led back into the Leaky Cauldron. "Though I think Harry would disagree."

"Yeah." Harry grimaced at the thought. "I'd say apparating is less disorienting. I know you prefer it though, Ron."

"Yeah, didn't care for that trip to Shell Cottage the first time." Ron shivered at the memory. "Smarted, that did." Seeing the slightly confused looks on the others' faces, he elaborated. "Got splinched when leaving that night I was in a right state. Saw a few snatchers and managed to knock them stupid before disapparating."

"That's putting it mildly." Hermione remarked as they entered the pub and approached the fireplace. "Right state. That you were. Bet the splinching hurt terribly, though." Pulling a pinch of the sparkling green powder from the jar on the mantle, she dropped it into the empty hearth and waited for the green flames to rise before speaking the name of their location clearly. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place." With that, the three stepped intothe grate and vanished behind the fire.


	18. Starting Over

**Hallowed  
** _Chapter Eighteen: Starting Over_

* * *

After the usual spinning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived in the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place; the smell of a very inviting meal meeting them as they bushed off soot from their robes. Hemione was the first to finish, and she began emptying out her pockets right from the off: books, ink, and the like remained, but she did manage to do a bit of grocery shopping while they had been out. Harry and Ron moved to assist in putting everything away although Kreacher had told them countless times that he would gladly do it like he was now.

"Nonsense, Kreacher." Harry countered. "Figure we can do more than just sit back while tea is being made." After putting away the sugar and milk, he fished in his robe pocket for something. Finding it, he withdrew his hand and held it out to Kreacher. "Found this a while back and forgot that I had put it in my school trunk. I thought you might want it." It was a glinting silver gauntlet-like armband that bore the Black family crest. "It was among the things Dung was trying to nick from this place a while back. Got you a new tea towel and all as well."

The elf's large eyes landed on the armband, and with shaking hands he accepted it. The band fit well around his wrist, due to Harry shrinking it accordingly, and Kreacher bowed low in gratitude. "It belonged to Master Regulus. Thank you."

"No need to thank me." Harry said simply as he passed on the new tea towel and went back to clearing away the day's shopping. "Figure it was the least I could do. You respect this family and Regulus, so when I found it it only made sense to return it." Kreacher took a moment to hear what his master was saying before he bowed again and returned to putting the finishing touches on the evening's tea.

"Speaking of family and all," Ron turned toward them after he hung up his traveling cloak on a rack near the kitchen entrance. "Mum wrote earlier and asked that we all come 'round before we head off to King's Cross."

"Good." Hermione placed plates and silver onto the table. "Was planning on it, actually."

"Oh, now that you mention parents, how's your family, Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione had been aiming to go and find her parents in Australia after they had sorted out some of the castle's repairs. Ron had gone with her a few weeks ago. "I assume you found them."

"I did." Hermione nodded. "They were near the east coast. I found them in a little inn. Turns out they had been there the whole time."

"Hope they enjoyed their vacation, because it wasn't so much a holiday, eh?" Ron said as he sat down by Hermione, who was across from Harry. "Charming little place; nothing like London or anything."

"They did. I lifted the memory charm and told them that I'd been away at school." Hermione averted her eyes for a moment. "You know, I'm not all that fond of lying to my parents."

"It wasn't really lying." Ron countered gently. "You were away at school toward the end." He began serving up the chicken and potatoes, while Harry poured the tea. "Did they ask about the war and all?"

"They asked about it, and I wasn't sure what to tell them." Hermione said as she ladeled gravy from the boat onto her potatoes. "I gave them a slightly abridged version of what happened: the wedding, your birthday, and all that. Then I told them about the ministry and Hogwarts."

"Left out the fact that we went off and were fugitives in the forest of Dean, eh?" Harry did the same with his own potatoes as he asked this. "No need to worry them after the fact."

"That was exactly what I was thinking." Hermione nodded. "They know the war is over and all that, but they don't know how we went out and were captured and all. They got back a few days ago and I restored the photos at home so that I was in them again."

"Glad everything turned out alright, then." Harry said while spearing another piece of chicken with his fork. "Still don't know what to do about my parents' house in Godric's Hollow, though. I thought of going back there and straightening it out, but I'm still not sure."

"Your call, mate." Ron said quietly.

"I know. That's the problem." Harry chewed carefully. "I don't think it should be a war monument anymore, but I'm not sure I should do it."

"Do you think they would want you to?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sure they would, or at least they would want me to move on."

"Then I think you've got your answer." Hermione smiled as she continued eating. "Doesn't have to be done overnight, but it can be done over time."

"I think I'll work on it after N.E.W.T.s, then."

It was a tentative decision, but it was there. Harry wasn't in a hurry to move on, but he wasn't exactly hoping to stay where he was, either. There were still times when he would wake and feel as if he had just left that train station where he had spoken with Dumbledore. When that happened, he would go and get a mug of hot chocolate or tea and just mull everything over. That would usually leave him asleep by a fireplace or up when Ron and Hermione got up the following morning; at which point he would say he had just gotten up and come downstairs. Nights like that he could do without, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to just shove off what all had happened and start anew. Regardless of the future, he had now, and he was with two people that he probably coulldn't have survived without. Putting all of his thoughts aside, Harry took comfort in that and spent the remainder of the night talking about the funnier parts of their Hogwarts years and what was to come with their last one.

"So, what will you do after school's done, then?" Ron grinned as he took a smaller fork-full of treacle tart and pointed it at Harry. ""Mione's already said she's probably going for Flourish and Blott's. Still looking at the Auror office?"

"I don't think so anymore." Harry had to suppress a laugh at Hermione rolling her eyes. She had just made the comment that Ron was going to turn into treacle tart if he kept on. "Remember that night that you two waited up and I was in the great hall?" At their nod, he continued. "That was another thing I discussed with McGonagall. I did consider being an auror, but after all of this, I don't think I want it anymore."

"Going to teach defense then?" Hermione questioned. "You know you were excellent at it in fifth year."

"I think so, yeah."

"Good then." Hermione nodded in satisfaction. "I thought of going for the charms position after I've done a little work in bookshops."

"Really?" Ron asked. "Didn't figure you for charms, 'Mione."

"Well, I've been considering it." Hermione stated again. "I always liked charms and I've been told I'm good at it."

"Yeah, all of those essays you proofread or completed." Harry joked. "Still, I think you'd do well, Hermione."

"So, I assume that the idea is to go to the Burrow tomorrow?" Hermione decided on changing the subject just then.

"Yes." Ron nodded. "Head there tomorrow morning and spend what's left of it there; then head off to King's Cross."

"Good." Harry took a sip of tea before speaking again. "Got to pack everything tonight, then. I'd rather not spend any time at the Burrow throwing things into my trunk."

"Think I'll do the same." Hermione agreed. "We can start after dinner."

"Yeah." Ron nodded.

After tea was cleared away and the kitchen was spotless, the three headed upstairs and began organizing their school things. Ron and Hermione were in their room on the second floor, and Harry had retreated to his, which used to be Sirius' on the third. He had his robes laid out on the pristine bed and was folding his socks. Hedwig was sitting on the bed nearby; clicking her beak at him.

"You know I prefer to do it by hand." Harry managed to finish with a pair of black socks. He tossed them into the small square of space he had allotted for them. "No sense in using a wand for everything." He finished up with his socks and moved on to the robes. He had a few sets of black Hogwarts ones, his emerald green dress robes, and a few sets of work robes that he tended to use for herbology. Once those, his shirts, ties, and the like were folded and placed neatly over his socks and other underclothes, Harry took the books, ink, and parchment he hed bought earlier in the day and sorted them into place. He had a wooden box to store his parchment, especially after ink had been spilt in years previous. The inkwells were secure and sealed, and his quills were stored in a tin. Books went on top of all of that, and all that was left was for him to fold up the bag he carried books around in and place it on top of the lot. Finally, he closed the trunk and locked it before putting it by the door.

"You know Hedwig, this year might actually go by well." He crossed the room again after opening his door to signal that he was done packing. "I'll have to get used to a quiet year at Hogwarts without the thought that someone might try to kill me." Getting another click of the beak as a response, Harry grinned. "That and you can come and go as you please again; no being shut up in a cage, an office, or anything." Hedwig hooted softly and raised her head in a most dignified manner, before spreading her wings and moving to the large night table, where a window stood open. "Oh go on then." Harry motioned for her to head out the window. "Good hunting, and if we're gone when you return, we'll be at the Burrow."

Harry spent the rest of the evening playing chess, gobstones, and exploding snap with Ron and Hermione down in the drawing room. He had planned to read a few chapters of each course's book before bed, but that didn't happen. After winning and losing a few games, laughing about the next year's probable events, and enjoying the last of dinner's dessert, they all headed up to bed. The morning was technically already here, and they would be leaving in a few hours to get to the Burrow. The three had already promised Mrs. Weasley that they would be there for a late breakfast with the family.

Dawning bright and clear, the morning of September 1st was cool but pleasant. It was seven o'clock when Harry's alarm went off. Upon remembering just what all they had planned, he stood, showered, and joined the others by the front door within fifteen minutes. Hermione was cheery in her greeting, but Ron still looked to be half asleep as he waved and yawned. Harry greeted them with a good wave and a "Good morning" before doing the same to Kreacher. The house elf had come to see them off; having plans to return to Hogwarts later in the day. Harry had made the suggestion to the elf the previous night before heading to bed. The house would be fine with no one here, but Kreacher could always come home when he wanted.

"So, are you ready, then?" Hermione asked as she withdrew her wand and shrank her trunk and Crookshanks' basket to travel size and pocketed them. "Mrs. Weasley said to be by at half seven for breakfast."

"Ready when you two are." Harry nodded. He did the same with his trunk, firebolt, and Hedwig's cage.

"Right then." Ron shrank his possessions as well; Harry and Hermione assuming that he had been working at it since yesterday. "You know how Mum is when we're not prompt."

Taking one last look at the entrance hall to Grimmauld Place, Harry opened the front door and headed outside into the crisp air. There were people in the square going out to get their morning papers and coffee as they had all summer, but they paid the three newcomers no mind as Ron and Hermione joined him; closing the door behind them. They had decided to disapparate rather than use the floo. Taking both Hermione and Ron's shoulders, Harry turned and disapparated; reappearing after a moment's compacted feeling at the edge of the orchards near the Burrow. Making their way through the trees and toward the house, Harry thought of when they had been here just over a year ago. It had been his birthday, Bill and Fleur had been married, and it was a good day until the news came about Scrimgeour and the ministry falling to Voldemort's supporters. He had of course been here since that day, but that was a more…. Memorable experience; tending to stay fresh on his mind.

"Oh there you three are!" It was nearly ten minutes later that they had emerged from the orchards and into the yard. Ginny had been out straightening up the yard, and had spotted them. "Mum is getting breakfast started now."

"Morning, Ginny." Harry grinned as he closed the gate that lead back toward the orchards. "Ready for the new term?"

"S'pose I am." Ginny nodded. "Not sure how a quiet year will go, but we'll see, won't we?"

"We will."

"Come on, you lot!" It was Fred who called them now. "Not going to hang around here all morning, are you?"

"As if it's any business of yours." Ginny shot back. "Clear off, you."

When they arrived at the house, they entered through the back door and into the kitchen. Hermione and Molly were pulling things off the frying pans and putting them onto plates. Arthur and Percy were transferring them to the table. Ginny went to work on the tea while Harry sent the toast from the stack to the open basket on the table. Shortly after, the extended family sat down to breakfast and chattered on about the upcoming year. Arthur had gotten his job back at the ministry and had been given additional responsibilities that would allow for a good pay rise. Fred and George had managed to keep their shop open, and Bill had kept his post with Gringotts.

"So, how did things go when you lot went to Gringotts?" George questioned. "Heard from Bill that you went in with Griphook and broke into the bank."

"Well, it was nice to not have to dress as death eaters to enter this time." Hermione admitted. "I rather liked going and getting into my own vault without having to deal with the Thief's Downfall."

"Good to see my vault again, rather than the staggering amount in Bellatrix'." Harry added. "Goblins looked at us a bit oddly at first, though."

"Bet they did." Arthur said as he passed the sausage platter to Ginny, who speared a few for herself and Harry. "They weren't the most pleased to see us enter the bank when they were getting the repairs underway."

"Well, it will get sorted in the end." Molly came and sat down again with the platter of different jams floating behind her. It made its way onto the center of the table and the lids stacked neatly by the four jars with a flick of her wand. "Gringotts is starting to look like its old self; much like Diagon Alley in general."

"Reckon Knockturn Alley will get much business?" Ron asked as he spread strawberry jam on a piece of toast. "People don't want to be seen down there, do they?"

"There will still be some who go off and poke around down there." Percy shook his head. "Far too tempting rubbish down there for them to pass up."

"Right you are, Percy." Arthur nodded. "Seems here have been a few confiscations from down there." He turned to Harry with his next bit of information. "They did destroy that vanishing cabinet, although I heard the one at Hogwarts was destroyed already."

"When Crabbe went off and produced fiend fire in the room of requirement, yeah." Harry nodded.

"Idiot." Hermione muttered. "Not like anyone could control it. He should have known better than to do that."

"This is Vincent Crabbe we're talking about." Ron reminded her. "He and Goyle just took the pastries we laced with a sleeping draft in second year. All we had to do was dangle them in front of those two gorillas' faces."

"Speaking of Hogwarts," Molly looked from Harry to Ginny, Hermione, and finally Ron. "Do you all have your things ready; books, quills, parchment robes, and all?"

"Got ours together last night." Ron volunteered. "Even double and triple checked this morning to make sure we had everything."

"Mine's upstairs." Ginny added. "Got everything secured and Pig's cage is all set too."

"Well then, that gives us a bit more time." Arthur said cheerfully. "Don't plan to drive to the station this time. We'll just apparate."

"That reminds me." Harry turned to Ginny. "Pass that apparition test, did you?"

"First go, yeah." Ginny nodded. "There are some times when I'd rather take the floo, but it's a lot easier than having to rely on Ministry drivers and all like before."

The rest of the morning was spent with the Weasleys and Harry chasing each other around on broomsticks and doing a bit of quidditch practice before time to depart for King's Cross. Harry and Ginny raced to see just who would have the shortest time catching the snitch; taking turns on Harry's firebolt. Both were averaging around the same amount of time, but Harry did find that his arm was still a bit weaker due to the injury from Bellatrix' dagger. When he fully extended it, there was still an ache that set him back from time to time. Fleur had done what she could, and Harry, after the battle at Hogwarts, had also had Madam Pomfrey take a look at it as well. She had even said that it would take time to fully heal. Once he and Ginny had completed their practice, both catching the snitch ten times, it was time to begin making their way to the train station to board the Hogwarts Express. They all took time to freshen up before heaving, and that put them getting to the station right at a quarter to eleven.

Entering the station, Harry was reminded of when he had been hit by Voldemort's curse in the forest. The station was obviously full of people, as dingy as usual, and was loud; Harry still looked for an empty bench where he and Dumbledore had sat and discussed things as they were before he had woken up in the forest again. Shaking it off, he joined the others by the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Ginny, having seen Harry's momentary hesitation, had an idea of what it was about. He had told her some of what had happened that night after he had left the castle just a few weeks ago, and it had been rather illuminating as to why he had wanted to take a step back in their relationship. Waiting until the crowds thinned out slightly, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry headed through the barrier in pairs. Once through, they moved toward the train; its engine only now starting to smoke as it prepared for departure within a quarter of an hour. The four loaded their trunks onto the train in a compartment that was empty at the moment, and went back to speak to the other Weasleys before leaving. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny would have to take time for their responsibilities; the former two being prefects and Ginny being Head Girl. Still, when they had time, they would spend it in the compartment they had all just claimed.

"Take care, you four." Arthur said as he heard a porter calling for people to load their things. "Should be a more quiet year, but still…"

"True, but don't let it worry you too much." Molly agreed. "You did manage to keep up with your badges, then?"

"Yeah." Ron pulled his prefect badge out. "Kept it safe."

"Still can't believe I'm Head Girl." Ginny looked at hers with an unreadable expression. "Weird…"

"Do you know who Head Boy is, then?" Ron asked as he pinned his badge to his chest.

"Saw just a moment ago." Ginny nodded. "Ernie MacMillan."

"Thought he was at Hogwarts last year." Hermione thought aloud.

"He was until he was sent off for attacking the Carrows." Ginny said simply. "He got out of the castle and then got back in through Aberforth's pub."

"Fair enough." Harry, who had waved toward Luna, said. "Ernie has always been fair; a bit wrong during second year when he thought I was after Justin, but yeah…"

"Still can't quite get over that." Ginny admitted. "The whole Riddle thing. To this day, there are still parts of it I don't remember."

"More than likely, you wouldn't want to." Harry said gently. "Come on, the train's about to start getting full."

From there, they said their final goodbyes to the Weasleys and Hermione's parents; the Grangers had met them at the barrier and were there to see their daughter off for her final year at school. They didn't quite know why she had decided to go another whole year, but with a quick explanation that the war had interrupted their last year, the confusion was replaced with the usual well-wishing. When they ll boarded the train, they had to separate; Harry, Neville, Seamus, and Dean meeting up in one car while Ginny, Ron, and Hermione met Luna, Ernie, and the others in the head car where prefects and the head boy and girl would decide on how to patrol the train and make sure things went smoothly throughout the journey. Thankfully, they weren't all separated for too long. They would take turns patrolling the corridor outside the compartments, and when Ron, Hermione, Ginny, or Luna would have a while off, they would go back to the compartment where Harry was looking through his school books.

"Looking over defense, are you?" Hermione asked as she, Luna, and Ginny sat down. "Anything we don't already know?"

"Few things, yeah." Harry grinned as he closed the book. "I've been looking over all of this year's books, and if the curriculum follows the chapters, this should be interesting; especially for charms, transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Taking Hagrid's class again?" Ginny asked. "I remember you didn't in sixth year."

"Yeah." Harry nodded. He, Hermione, and Ron had all not taken up the class during that year in hopes of getting a few more free periods, but that hadn't really mattered. He had done well in his O.W.L., so he had decided to take up the class again. "It will give me some time to just relax and have an enjoyable class. It will be good to see Buckbeak again as well."

"You know, I've been doing some thinking about what you said about teaching." Hermione said after a while. "I thought about the Muggle Studies position after a while."

"I wonder if they have someone to replace Charity Burbage." Harry muttered. "It would be something you'd be good at, Hermione. You do like history and all."

"True." Hermione still looked thoughtful. "It's an option. I dunno…"

"I understand." Harry nodded. "I'm still considering my options." He replaced the book he had been reading from and closed his trunk. "Thought of transfiguration as well as defense."

"What?" Ron had just entered the compartment and was standing in the doorway after closing it. "Not sure about defense, Harry?"

"Well," Harry nodded slowly. "I know I'm good at defense, but I've been doing it more than I really wanted to for the last seven years. I just don't want to get burnt out on a subject like that."

"Well, still got a full year to decide what you're interested in." Luna volunteered. "Time can allow for great change in a person."

"You're right." Harry agreed. He had seen great change in her personally. Luna Lovegood had gone a long way from the odd girl he had met three years ago on the carrage ride to Hogwarts. She had gone from one of the students everyone loved to pick on to a powerful and wise witch. "Only time will tell."

The sun sank lower and lower as the Hogwarts Express got closer to Hogsmeade station. People who weren't in their robes aleady were rushing to change before they arrived, but Harry and the others had changed just after boarding the train. It had made things easier and a lot less rushed. As they neared the station however, there was already a pounding of feet outside. People were rushing back to their compartments to make sure all of their things were packed away and ready to be brought up to the castle. Harry had put Hedwig's cage in his trunk, having shrank it first, and had all of his books and things stowed away as well. His invisibility cloak was stored within a pocket in the inside of his robes. The marauder's Map, the snitch with the resurrection stone, and a few other things were placed in the mokeskin purse, which he kept on him at all times. He waited for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna while they made sure the train was empty.

Hagrid was out on the platform beckoning first years toward him and his large lamp. It was misting rain, and the eleven-year-olds were all looking up at the half giant that they had to follow to the ever familiar boats. Watching them go, Harry reserved a carriage; patting the thestrals that would pull it while still watching the crowd heading for the lake. It had been that boat ride that had given him the first glimpse of the castle that had come to feel like his real home. Nervous and in awe, he had not known what he was in for when he would cross that threshold the first time.

"You ready, there, Harry?" It was Ron who voiced this question.

"Yeah." Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Luna all got into the carriage and rode swiftly up to the castle's large stone steps. On their way through the grounds, they all remembered just what it had looked like some six months ago. The grounds had been in ruins, bridge destroyed, the quidditch pitch ablaze, and the castle itself had been torn apart. Now however, it looked as whole as ever, and as they all crossed the threshold into the flagged stone entrance hall, they all could feel a warmth that had not existed during the previous year.

"Seeing the first years off, were you?" Ginny asked as they stood near the great hall's tall doors' students and teachers walking past them to enter it. "What was going through your mind?"

"Just remembering how it was when I was in one of those boats." Harry said as Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout entered the hall. They were followed by Professor Vector and a few others before he and Ginny spotted the headmistress descending the grand staircase's final flight. Professor McGonagall made her way toward them but stopped short near Harry's left as a pack of energetic second years entered the hall ahead. "I went from thinking my parents died in a car crash and that I was just a "freak" to having a half giant tell me I'm a wizard and that my parents were magical too. I didn't want to believe that such luck could find me, but when I saw this castle for the first time, everything changed." Pushing open the doors that led into the hall ahead of them, he motioned for Ginny to go ahead of him. As he went to follow her however, he was stopped by a question from the woman to his left.

"Are you prepared to begin again, Potter;" He turned and rmained where he was. It was easier to hear from out here. "Knowing where you began and how far you have come over the last years?" Pausing for only a second to consider Minerva McGonagall's question, Harry nodded and proceeded into the hall with her.

"Always, Headmistress."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, this is it, lads. This little work has come to a close. Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, followed, and favored my first step back into the Harry Potter category in a few years. :) I will be doing more in this now that I've read the books again (for the probably tenth time now). Until then,

Mischief Managed.


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